Pair of Roman Francis
The Vatican authorities decided to fire employees from their jobs for refusing voluntary vaccination without medical indications. The corresponding decree of February 8 was signed by the governor of the city-state, Giuseppe Bertello, reports Associated Press.
The text of the document states that employees of organizations who refuse to be vaccinated without a proven medical reason may be subject to sanctions by the employer, “up to the termination of employment.”
The directive has been guided by principles issued by Pope Francis' COVID-19 Advisory Commission, according to which people have a moral responsibility to vaccinate, given that refusing to vaccinate may pose a risk to others.
The signing of the decree sparked a heated debate in the Vatican, as its provisions go against the voluntary nature of vaccinations in Italy and many other countries around the world.
According to Johns Hopkins University, there have been 27 cases of coronavirus infection in the Vatican. Of these, there is not a single death, and 15 people have recovered.
