Malta has yet to take to a position on a European Commission proposal to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory across all EU member states, Robert Abela said on Thursday.
He told Times of Malta he needed to see exactly what the proposal was before taking a position. The matter, he said, will be one of the topics for discussion at the next European Union summit later this month.
President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday expressed her disappointment that one-third of EU citizens had not yet been jabbed, adding that she felt it was 'understandable and appropriate' that a discussion be held on mandatory vaccination in EU.
While acknowledging that this was “pure member state competence”, she noted that there was “a lot” of the EU’s population who had not received the jab, equivalent to around 150 million people.
“I think it is understandable and appropriate to lead this discussion now -- how we can encourage and potentially think about mandatory vaccination within the European Union,” she told a news conference.
“This needs discussion. This needs a common approach. But it is a discussion that I think has to be led,” she added as she stressed that this was her personal position.
“We have the vaccines, the life-saving vaccines, but they are not being used adequately everywhere,” she said.
Abela said Malta was among the leaders in the EU when it came to uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine and he urged people to continue taking the jab and the booster dose to protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus.
He urged people to take the booster jab, saying Malta had managed to return to normality thanks to its vaccination programme.
So far, more than 124,000 booster doses have been administered, with priority given to the elderly, healthcare workers, teachers and the immunocompromised. The rollout will proceed according to age, with over 50s the next in line to receive their third doses.
No increased restrictions suggested
He said the health authorities had not suggested that restrictiond should be increased, despite concerns about the new variant, Omicron.
Abela was speaking following the unveiling of a monument of Joseph Howard, Malta’s first prime minister, in Howard Gardens in Rabat. Howard led Malta’s first government between 1921 and 1923.
The new monument of Joseph Howard, Malta's first prime minister between 1921 and 1923. It was unveiled by Prime Minister Robert Abela. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.