Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2026

Daily Sabah - Latest & Breaking News from Turkey | Istanbul

  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Opinion
  • Columns
  • Op-Ed
  • Reader's Corner
  • Editorial

What is the rationale for mandatory vaccination?

by Melih Altınok

Sep 02, 2021 - 12:05 am GMT+3
Vials labelled "AstraZeneca, Pfizer - Biontech, Johnson&Johnson, Sputnik V coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine" are seen in this illustration picture taken May 2, 2021. (REUTERS Photo)
Vials labelled "AstraZeneca, Pfizer - Biontech, Johnson&Johnson, Sputnik V coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine" are seen in this illustration picture taken May 2, 2021. (REUTERS Photo)
by Melih Altınok Sep 02, 2021 12:05 am

How fair is it for the government and businesses to force people to get vaccinated when vaccination is a controversial issue in itself?

There is currently heavy pressure for governments to make vaccines that were created just a few months ago mandatory.

Some private businesses do not accept unvaccinated customers, while others explain that they will not work with unvaccinated employees. There are also universities that do not want unvaccinated students and teachers.

Political pressure on public personnel such as soldiers, police, doctors and nurses is increasing.

This pressure has become so pervasive that even hospitals are now separating people by who is vaccinated and who isn't. I am not kidding. Some hospitals in Turkey, a country where people must take two PCR tests a week to go to work, school or travel, are declaring that they will no longer accept unvaccinated patients!

A nurse administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a patient in Diyarbakır, Turkey, Aug. 31, 2021. (AA Photo)
A nurse administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a patient in Diyarbakır, Turkey, Aug. 31, 2021. (AA Photo)

Against human rights

I wonder what Hippocrates would say if he saw what is happening these days...

However, it is obvious that the imposition of compulsory vaccination is a clear contradiction of universal law, human and patient rights, because the individual's right to protect one's bodily integrity is a bare minimum even in dictatorial constitutions.

Therefore, no treatment or protection protocol can be applied to any individual who does not want to receive it.

People's rights to work, travel, education and public services cannot be denied under arbitrary conditions.

Extraordinary situation, then what?

At this point, advocates of compulsory vaccination say, “We are in an extraordinary situation. Therefore, some rights may be temporarily suspended for the benefit of the majority.”

Just as is the case with mandatory mask-wearing in open spaces, which has been scientifically proven to be ineffective, moreover, harmful today.

However, this "extraordinary period" excuse, which liberals and libertarians use these days, does not eliminate the debate about the function of the vaccine, because the manufacturers of the vaccines used against the COVID-19 pandemic accept that vaccines do not prevent transmission.

A dose of COVID-19 vaccine is being prepared in Samsun, Turkey, Aug. 25, 2021. (IHA Photo)
A dose of COVID-19 vaccine is being prepared in Samsun, Turkey, Aug. 25, 2021. (IHA Photo)

Vaccinated people infect people around them as much as those who are unvaccinated. There is no data to support objections such as "Vaccinated people transmit the virus less," although it has been observed that vaccines help older people to overcome the disease more easily.

Statistics from the field are also pretty clear.

Israel and England, which are the top two countries in the world in terms of vaccination, are also the leading countries in terms of cases and deaths!

The situation is not different in Turkey, which ranks seventh in the world in vaccination. On Aug. 31, 2020, when there was no vaccination, the number of cases stood at 1,500 and 44 people had died. After exactly one year, on Aug. 31, 2021, after an intense vaccination campaign was carried out, the number of cases climbed to 22,000 with 252 deaths.

I won't even mention the theses of scientists who suggest that the cause of the new variants is the mRNA vaccines themselves.

What are you hiding?

So will you tell me?

What is the scientific rationale for mandating non-functional vaccines in the departure from the "extraordinary period" because it is claimed to only protect the person who has it and thus does not prevent transmission?

A dose of Pfizer-Biontech vaccine. (Sabah Archive Foto)
A dose of Pfizer-Biontech vaccine. (Sabah Archive Foto)

After all, what could be dangerous for public health and public safety in voicing scientific and statistical data and opposing impositions, as in this article?

Isn't that how science works? Haven't we built democracy, which is the common accumulation of our civilization, on the basis of minimum freedoms?

So while supporting propaganda about the vaccine by the state, why do you limit critical views and different scientific theses on social media platforms?

It's free to try. I am sure you will limit reading and sharing of this article by placing a “COVID-19 warning” on the internet.

What are you hiding?

  • shortlink copied
  • KEYWORDS
    covid-19 vaccine vaccination anti-vaxxers
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    No Image
    Chernobyl: 35 years after world's worst nuclear disaster
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • DS TV
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021