[GA, Passed] Public Health and Vaccinations Act [Complete]

Fawkes

Fawkes

TNPer

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Public Health and Vaccinations Act
Category: Health | Area of Effect: Healthcare
Proposed by: Imperium Anglorum | Onsite Topic​

Whereas it is an important matter of public health that persons be protected from the scourge of disease that may painfully kill, maim, paralyse, or cause harm of some manner or another:

And whereas the right to believe empirically incorrect information does not extend to harming others:

Now, therefore, be it enacted by this august and most excellent World Assembly, by and with the advice and consent of the Delegates and Members, in this present session assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows :
  1. Member nations shall require that all persons be vaccinated, given safe administration and evaluation of opportunity costs thereof, in a timely manner against any disease
    • to which the general public may reasonably be exposed and
    • is sufficiently infectious and virulent so as to threaten public health.
  2. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1, members will grant exceptions given
    force majeure, provision of which shall be retrospective, or a valid medical reason to exempt.
  3. Member nations and their governmental subdivisions shall not make transfer payments or provide inessential services, except where otherwise required by World Assembly law, to persons or the parents of minors who refuse to comply with the first and second sections of this Act.
  4. Members are permitted to pass further legislation to limit the spread of disease by unvaccinated persons, including but not limited to restrictions on school enrolment or provision of medical quarantine on travellers.
  5. Point of service costs for vaccines administered under section 1 shall not exceed minimal expense. Such vaccines shall not be altered to produce effects outside the scope of inoculation.
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Voting Instructions:
  • Vote For if you want the Delegate to vote For the resolution.
  • Vote Against if you want the Delegate to vote Against the resolution.
  • Vote Abstain if you want the Delegate to abstain from voting on this resolution.
  • Vote Present if you are personally abstaining from this vote.

Detailed opinions with your vote are appreciated and encouraged!

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This resolution aims to improve public health and universal standards of healthcare by requiring all citizens of member nations to be vaccinated, except in the cases mentioned therein. Under no circumstances are member nations obliged to provide non-essential medical services to those citizens who refuse to adhere to the provisions of the text, except as required by WA. Likewise, it encourages the enactment of national laws that allow progress in terms of health and medical care, clarifies that the cost of vaccination services should not exceed minimum expenditure, and protects citizens from undesirable effects that may occur due to the alteration of the vaccines.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote for this resolution.
 
For, vaccinations are an important factor in preventing the spread of highly communicable diseases and contagions. 'Herd immunity' should be enough to protect those who are not vaccinated because of clause 2. My only concern is the inessential services part of clause 3, since that does cover a wide range of services, that while not essential are still important for an individual to have access to. However, I believe that this is a good way to ensure compliance.
 
Against (note: my WA is back in TNP).

I appreciate the intentions behind this resolution. Non-vaccination is dangerous, both to the child that is not vaccinated and to the population more widely, and ought to be strongly discouraged.

However, I think that the measures in this proposal go too far. Clause 3, though the Ministry's recommendation appears to have misunderstood this, mandates that transfer payments and inessential services be not provided to unvaccinated persons and the parents of unvaccinated minors (the Ministry seems to suggest that it merely removes obligations to provide inessential medical services).

First, I will address the services aspect. This is something I could, perhaps, live with. My primary objection is that it could be drawn too widely and may be difficult to administer in nations with large public sectors. If a city had a free bus service for all to use, for instance, it may be said that this is inessential (though, for some who depend on it to reach their place of work it may not be) and the city would be required to introduce a system to screen out unvaccinated persons and the parents of them.This is only one example, but it is, to me, demonstrative of the problem of such a wide provision. My more significant concern, however, is with transfer payments.

With respect to transfer payments, in this context, are, essentially, welfare benefits. If a nation has a system of payment for the unemployed, that system will be caught by this resolution and payments must be denied to unvaccinated persons and their parents. Similarly, if a nation has a system of child benefits paid to parents in order to provide for their children, that system will be caught and payments must be denied. This will mean that people are pushed into poverty. It will mean that children, through no fault of their own, may be pushed into poverty by the state.
 
Voting on this resolution has ended.

Thanks to those nations who cast their votes. Your participation is a great help to the region.

This topic has been locked and sent to the Archives for safekeeping. If you would like this topic to be re-opened for further discussion, please contact the WA Delegate, a Global Moderator, or an Administrator for assistance. Thank you.
 
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