Amnesty International urges Italy not to discriminate against the unvaccinated

The human rights group Amnesty International is taking issue with Italy’s tough anti-COVID-19 measures, which they say discriminate against people who are not vaccinated.

At the heart of the controversy is a recent decree by the Italian government requiring everyone aged 50 and older to be vaccinated. Getting the jab is also a requirement for using public transportation and accessing a range of other services. Although many countries have been putting similar measures in place, Italy’s are considered among the most dramatic.

Amnesty International is asking the country to accept alternative measures in lieu of vaccination, such as wearing masks and undergoing testing for the virus so that unvaccinated people can continue to use public transport and go to work without being discriminated against. The current rules stipulate that having a negative COVID-19 test and wearing a mask is not acceptable for accessing public transportation, nor is it enough for people aged 50 and older to access their workplace. These rules are currently in place until June 15, although it is possible that they could be extended.

Under the decree, unvaccinated workers aged 50 and older could be fined between 600 and 1500 euros. They will lose their salary after five days but will not be fired, which means they will be able to receive their pay again if they comply and get the jab. Even the unvaccinated over 50 who do not work cannot escape the mandate; those in this age group who are retired or unemployed will still face a fine of 100 euros.

So far, 74 percent of Italians have received at least two doses of COVID vaccines, while 6 percent have had one and 35 percent have received a booster shot.

The Italian chapter of Amnesty International said: “The government must continue to ensure that the entire population can enjoy its fundamental rights, such as the right to education, work, and [medical] treatment, with particular regard to non-COVID patients who need urgent surgery.”

In Italy, proof of vaccination is considered valid for nine months since the date of the last dose, as long as it is the second or third shot. However, starting in February, the period of validity will be reduced to just six months following the last vaccination dose.

Other European countries that are taking a hard stance on this issue include Austria, which is making vaccination mandatory for everyone over 14 years of age, while Greece is requiring everyone over the age of 60 to get the vaccine starting January 16.

Italy preparing for significant number of vaccine injury claims

Meanwhile, Italy is setting aside 150 million euros, which is nearly $170 million, to compensate people who are suffering side effects from COVID-19 vaccines. According to a draft decree that was seen by Reuters, the government plans to set aside 50 million euros in 2022 and 100 million euros more in 2023 for those who have been permanently disabled by the Italian health authority’s coronavirus vaccine mandates.

Of the 101,110 side effects complaints lodged with Italy’s drug agency, AIFA, so far, 14.4%, or just over 14,000, are considered serious as they resulted in emergency room treatment, immediate danger to life, disability or hospitalization. Those with permanent damage are eligible for the compensation, and there are two channels for receiving it. The first is a state compensation fund that offers quick and relatively modest compensation known as collective solidarity, while the second, reparation of damages, uses a civil or criminal judicial procedure for larger claims.

Given the amount of money that they are setting aside for compensation, it appears that Italy is expecting to receive a significant number of vaccine injury complaints. Despite this clear acknowledgement that people will be suffering from the jabs, Italy inexplicably continues to press forward with insisting that its population get vaccinated.

Sources for this article include:

NTD.com

Edition.CNN.com

Finance.Yahoo.com