CNE president Suzanne Bausch emphasised that the presentation was only to be considered as a momentary evaluation, which was based on the limited number of doses currently destined to arrive in the Grand Duchy.
It is therefore important that frontline healthcare workers are the first to receive the vaccine. The Ethics Committee does not want to prioritise certain groups, but rather focus on those that are in closest contact with the virus on a daily basis. The initial doses are therefore destined for hospital staff working in Covid sections, regardless of profession. Bausch explained: "They are the ones facing the greatest imminent threat, which is why we must prioritise them during this first phase. It is important to maintain our hospitals at full capacity, which is beneficial to the entire country."
Bausch further emphasised that analyses need to be conducted throughout the entire process. The question of mandatory vaccination has not yet been discussed, since the prioritisation was a more pressing issue at the moment. The committee has however already announced that they would not support this path, but rather build on a broad information campaign. That way, people receive a maximum amount of reliable information and can decide for themselves: "People will only trust the vaccine if they understand it, which is our mission."
The Ethics Committee wants to avoid that the country ends up dividing on this issue. Discussions abroad have already suggested that vaccines may become mandatory in the health sector in some countries, which can be legally challenging. Finally, the CNE needs to assess where the next supply of vaccine doses best be distributed.
