Leader of the Opposition New Democratic Party Dr. Godwin Friday on Monday reiterated his party’s position on the COVID-19 vaccines noting that while they support vaccination as a means of combating COVID-19 they are strongly opposed to mandatory vaccination.
On Friday November 19th the government’s vaccination policy for all frontline workers to get vaccinated came into effect.
Addressing the issue at a news conference Monday Dr. friday said forcing people to get vaccinated against their will is not becoming of a democratic society.
The opposition leader said while he accepts that vaccination provides strong protection for severe illness and even deaths from COVID-19 there are better tools and more knowledge available to combat the virus than when it first emerged. He said SVG can only succeed in its fight against COVID through a collaborative approach.
Noting that frontline workers who are being pressured to get vaccinated are not the problem, Dr. Friday said under an NDP government there will be no mandated vaccination policy.
Urging the government to rethink and roll back its vaccination policy, the opposition leader said there are better and more effective ways to achieve vaccination goals than devaluing and dividing the people.
