Most NZ health care workers, teachers to be legally required to get vaccinated

Exactly as it should be. A small percentage will quit - but come back tails between legs at a later point. Kiwis are not as gullible as Americans.

There are already compulsory vaccines for health workers, no one screamed Big Brother before. Why are the anti vaxxers screaming now?

Good for NZ.

I think they will find the handful of dumb anti-vaxxers there will crumble and end up getting the vaccine.

Vaccination is not merely for self-protection. It's pro social and caring to people around.

99% of people who "don't want the vaccine" are thick and/or conspiracy theorists. I don't want such people teaching or caring for my loved ones anyways. Enjoy unemployment!

Well said.

If you are so ignorant or stubborn that you refuse to take a proven safe and effective vaccine, it would call into question your basic cognition and/or judgment for teaching or caring for the sick.

Thats how it should be.

Good and a 3thd shot too. Next year. I’m not a medical worker but not a conspiracy nut either, so I’m getting it.

All these anti-vaxers have been vaccinated as children for mumps/chicken pox, rubella, etc...yet somehow they have a problem with a corona vaccine. Total and utter hypocrites. Not only have they been vaccinated against such diseases, lawfully they had to otherwise they would be not have been allowed to attend a public school. Make no mistake, the covid vaccine will become mandatory for children just like the chickenpox vaccine and rightly so. I also laugh at these anti-vaxers who don't want to take the vaccine because they claim it's "experimental" but are quite happy to take a monoclonal cocktail which only 1 year ago was considered experimental!. Like I said, these people are just hypocrites.

Good, that should be a requirement globally!!!

because no vaccine that didnt exist even the year prior has ever been mandated so quickly.

yeah, because in the last 50 years, medical research has advanced where vaccines can be tested a lot more quickly and thoroughly than before. Just like you build a skyscraper safely in 2 years now, as opposed to 10 years 50 year ago, because building and manufacturing standards, and materials have improved. It's not difficult to comprehend.

Atillathehungry: The first generation of mRNA vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, etc.) have been proven to be effective in reducing symptoms. But their ability to prevent infection was not a criterion for their approval (by the FDA) and whether they do this has not been ascertained. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-94719-y)

probably some young and healthy members of the teaching/health professions don't see the need to inject themselves with harsh chemicals that may produce dangerous side effects that outweigh the benefits of vaccination.

Rubbish. Teaching and health professionals with an ounce of intelligence know that a tested medicine, (all medicines are chemicals of one description or another) is to help prevent infection and death from a virus that mutates more when it infects more people. No medicine including asprin has a 100% safe to use rating. Every medicine will have a proportion of people getting a side effect from minor to major, hence all the testing.

Vaccinated for mumps and measels, for whooping cough and malaria? But this urgently needed vaccine that underwent extensive testing and was fast tracked is somehow more feared than covid? That makes no sense when the numbers show about one in a million chance of death from vaccination as opposed to 10,000 per million or higher from covid.

99% of people who "don't want the vaccine" are thick and/or conspiracy theorists. I don't want such people teaching or caring for my loved ones anyways. Enjoy unemployment!

because their vaccine only works if everyone else has been vaccinated too, somehow.

kinda like that mask thing from before that your mask only protects you if I am also masked.

Yes, people who already had COVID are said by Pfizer to be more protected that people who have been vaccinated.

Response- doesnt matter- get vaccinated anyway! when 6 months later when the vaccine is only 47% effective? get it again! and again....

Jail those refusing.

99% of people who "don't want the vaccine" are thick and/or conspiracy theorists

Indeed, some are very smart, you know

If you want to be protected, get vaccinated. Why impose it on others? Plus as usual, no mention is made of people who have natural immunity due to previous contact with the virus.

I guess the concept of "herd immunity" is now out the door.

Love to see your proof of that ridiculous assertion, David. Rather, probably some young and healthy members of the teaching/health professions don't see the need to inject themselves with harsh chemicals that may produce dangerous side effects that outweigh the benefits of vaccination. Particularly those who have already overcome Covid and have natural immunity.

I believe the latest corona death (the second in 6 months) was an already sick lady in her 90s. So again, vaccinate yourself if you feel the need. Just don't be bossy.

Problems only postponing, or do you think you can stand all future boosting shots every eight months plus that exhausting job? Nothing against vaccinations, but considering longer term effects, one must hate himself or his body to expose it to such extreme and by governments obliged ‘health’ procedures.

 I think it is more about protecting service staff, their families and the people they work with from a deadly and highly contagious virus rather than some yearning for 'authoritarian power'

Because the government types know what’s best for the dumb plebs, right.

the vaccine" are thick and/or conspiracy theorists. I don't want such people teaching or caring for my loved ones anyways.

In a freer world, you could actually have more options about who teaches your kids and cares for you and your family.

But lolz, looks like New Zealand’s government pretty much controls their education and health systems too.

Good for you if you like the government decisions, and thank goodness New Zealand has a dictatorship and no opposition to take control and do stuff to the education and health system that you wouldn’t personally like in future. Otherwise the decision could be made in ways which you might not agree, and you’d just have to suck it.

Oh wait New Zealand is not like China and may have a change of government policy?

Hmmm. I’d rather just have the choices made be me, all the time, and not be subject to what some dumb politicians think best for other people. This principle is important.

If the vaccines that have been developed actually prevent transmission of COVID, as opposed to only reducing symptoms, this would make sense.

I thought the vaccines were supposed to do both, Ampas. At least according to the CDC website in the US, "only a small proportion of people" can be infected after vaccination. Plus, those people generally experience lighter symptoms and far fewer deaths.

So again, why does another persons' vaccination status have any effect on anyone else?

Welp, the world's gone mad. Was fun while it lasted.

One difference I would say is that most if not all previous vaccines were able to prevent the vaccinated person from actually getting sick. This vaccine doesn't do that? They also offered some semblance of herd immunity, again not applicable to the current Covid vaccines?

The information is just too contradictory and vague, depending on which experts you believe. The CDC or FDA?

I am not saying don't get it, or that it is useless. Far from it. But it depends on each persons' circumstances. Older, vulnerable, it is a good idea. Young, healthy, already having natural immunity, maybe not.

There are already compulsory vaccines for health workers, no one screamed Big Brother before. Why are the anti vaxxers screaming now?

because no vaccine that didnt exist even the year prior has ever been mandated so quickly.

The one that was close, the 1976 swine flu, was discontinued after killing a bunch of people.

Most NZ health care workers, teachers to be legally required

A percentage of them will quit because they do not want to be forced to undergo a medical procedure, leading to staff shortages in hospitals (like e.g. in New York).

So in the eternal wisdom of the government, it is more important to demonstrate authoritarian power than to have full hospital capacity.

Brilliant demonstration of priorities.