Can your employer enforce mandatory vaccinations, regarding the COVID-19 vaccines, whether our not the worker is in the private of public sector? Will they be able to do so in the future? Should they be able to?
Attorney-at-Law Gavin Goffe, who sees precedent for mandate in the law and attorney at law and Attorney-at-Law, Isat Buchanan who argues that the move would be unconstitutional, joined the CVM Live Panel Discussion debates both sides of the argument.
According Attorney-at-Law Gavin Goffe, there is no one-size-fit- all approach to the vaccination off employees as situations may vary. However, he notes that for frontline workers such as doctors and nursed and persons who have to come in contact with the vulnerable in our society; then mandatory vaccinations would be justified. He notes that having a mandatory policy would not be unlawful, however, what is important to note is how far employers will go to enforce it.
Meanwhile, Attorney-at-Law Isat Buchanan, states that at this point the COVID-19 has no indemnity and there is currently no legislation for the vaccines, which he states currently the country is seeing what he calls “voluntary vaccination”. And notes that to mandate the vaccine would be a breach of Jamaica’s Constitution. He notes that the important question currently are there less restrictive measures when it comes to persons being vaccinated.
