Health Minister 'would not rule out' introducing mandatory coronavirus vaccine scheme in Wales

Vaughan Gething said mandating a vaccination was at the ''more extreme end'' of options available to the Welsh Government Credit: PA

Health Minister Vaughan Gething has said he ''wouldn't rule out'' introducing a mandatory coronavirus vaccine scheme in Wales when one becomes available.

Speaking on ITV Wales' political programme Sharp End, the minister said the Welsh Government are considering a range of options for delivering the vaccine.

Gething said mandating a vaccination was at the ''more extreme end'' of those options.

He said: ''I don't think it's sensible for any politician to rule out possible options because we can't tell where we're going to be in a month let alone six months or a year.''

In order for a vaccination to be effective it needs to be taken up by a large proportion of the population, but Gething said he believes most people in Wales will volunteer to receive the it.

Gething said: ''I actually think we'll see high levels of take up and as you know we need to have high levels of take up to provide protection for the whole population.''

Brexit Party Leader Mark Reckless said mandating a vaccine is ''unacceptable'' Credit: ITV Wales

Appearing on the programme, Brexit Party Leader Mark Brexit said mandating a vaccine was ''unacceptable.''

Suzy Davies MS described the idea of compulsory vaccinations was 'an Orwellian statement' and 'a real attack on personal freedoms' during Tuesday's plenary session in the Welsh Parliament.

The First Minister said there was no implication that the Health Minister had made any decision regarding vaccination and that in the context of Coronavirus where so much is unknown that ruling out something at this stage would not have been responsible. He added that he felt Mr Gething was 'absolutely right' in the answer he gave.

On Monday, Vaughan Gething announced more parts of South Wales are set to go into lockdown.

Bridgend, Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport will go into lockdown with people living there facing tougher restrictions after a spike in Covid-19 cases.

Alongside Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf - where localised lockdown measures have already been introduced - it means more than 840,000 people in Wales will be living under tougher restrictions.

  • Watch the full Health Minister interview on Sharp End here