Anti-vaccination movements in Eastern Partnership countries

Journalists from Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine prepared materials on the vaccination situation in their countries. They talk about the anti-vaccination movements and assess the scale and consequences of the campaigns they organize.

Author – Gayane Sargsyan

At present, Armenia is among the countries with the lowest rate of vaccination. The struggle between the vaccination movement and ‘anti-vax’ campaigns here is ongoing. Very often, this struggle transfers from the healthcare sector to the political field.

As of December 17, 343,350 cases of coronavirus were confirmed, 327,539 patients recovered and 7,885 people died. Only 24.6% of the country’s adults received both doses of the vaccine.

According to Reuters, as of December, Armenia still has the lowest vaccination rate among neighboring countries. In Georgia, it is 31.2%, in Azerbaijan – 54.3%, in Turkey – 73% and in Ukraine – 30.1%.

For the first time, a sharp increase in the spread of the pandemic in Armenia was recorded in the spring of 2020. Over the course of about a year and a half, since the beginning of the pandemic, the government has introduced a number of restrictions, as a result of which, from time to time, there have been positive fluctuations between the rates of morbidity and mortality.

It is noteworthy that the official data on coronavirus mortality rates in 2020-2021 provided by the state statistics committee does not correspond to the figures published by the Ministry of Health – the difference of 1,027 cases is quite significant for a small country like Armenia.

This caused questions and heated discussions. Meanwhile, Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan explained that this difference in data is due to the phased implementation of the Armed system, launched by the Ministry of Health.

“Now we are studying which statistical data, and at which stages of implementation of the system, remained outside our electronic statistical system”, she said.

To clarify the circumstances of the case, by order of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, an official investigation is underway, which will be continued by the prosecutor’s office. It is aimed at finding out what caused the difference in numbers – deliberate actions of specific individuals or technical problems. Despite the fact that the problem was identified back in October, there is still no official information two months later.

Over the past three months, a number of restrictions have been introduced in Armenia to prevent the spread of the virus.

1. By a decision that entered into force on October 1, unvaccinated workers were required to present employer with a certificate confirming a negative result of a PCR test every 14 days. The cost of the test are to be covered by the employee.

Only those fully or once vaccinated, those who have serious contraindications to vaccination and pregnant women can be allowed to work without a negative test result.

Those who have not submitted the relevant documents on time are forbidden from going to their workplace. The employer has the right to fire employees for a certain number of unworked days.

2. From November 1, it once again became obligatory to wear a mask on the street.

3. From December 1, employees must submit a negative PCR test for coronavirus to the employer every seven days.

4. Another measure is expected – from January 1, 2022, “citizens can visit places of public catering and cultural events only with a negative PCR test result or with a document confirming vaccination”. Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan announced the government’s intention to introduce such a regulation at the end of November, the corresponding project is currently being discussed.

All these measures forced some part of the population to get vaccinated. The numbers of new cases per day, as well as deaths, have also decreased.

However, the introduction of restrictions as well as the fact that they did not apply to high-ranking officials caused discontent, which was accompanied by protests.

Simultaneously with these regulations, the country was discussing the draft law “On Civil Service”, according to which a number of high-ranking officials were on the list of exceptions and did not have to submit a negative PCR test result or a vaccination certificate. It includes, in particular, the president of the country, deputies of parliament, the prime minister, heads of local self-government bodies, the ombudsman and the judges of the Constitutional Court.

The differentiated approach to ordinary residents of the country and officials has become a reason for protests.

In response, the Ministry of Justice issued an official explanation, on “why the dismissal rule cannot be applied to some officials if they do not submit a vaccination document or PCR test”:

“Deputies to the National Assembly are elected by the people, the president of the republic, human rights defender, members of independent bodies, etc. – by the National Assembly. In turn, the powers of judges are terminated on limited grounds provided for by the constitution, the prime minister, who is appointed as a result of constitutional processes, does not actually have a higher authority that would dismiss him or appoint him to this position, and so on.

Therefore, even if one wants to, it will be impossible to apply this consequence to the aforementioned persons, that is, to dismiss them from their jobs on this basis”.

However, this approach is not shared not only by many residents of Armenia, but also by the ombudsman himself, who is included in the list of exceptions.

“I consider these exceptions to be erroneous, I think this is a discriminatory approach. I think this violates the legal purpose of the law. We cannot explain to citizens why some officials were released from restrictions. If the goal is to protect the health of the population, then it should be noted that the members of the Council of Elders included in this list communicate more with people than an employee of any department in their office”, said human rights defender Arman Tatoyan.

These controversial and divisive approaches have spurred the anti-vaccination campaign. It is noteworthy that a significant part of its leaders occupy prominent positions in parliamentary and extra-parliamentary opposition structures.

However, many of them do not oppose the vaccination process itself, but rather the compulsion to vaccinate. They position themselves as defenders of human rights and the _expression_ of free will. Thus, the medical problem moves to the political field.

To be more persuasive, anti-vaccination campaigners from political circles are actively recruiting doctors.

On September 10, ex-president and leader of the Hayastan (Armenia) political bloc, Robert Kocharian criticized compulsory vaccination:

“Vaccination should be a voluntary decision of everyone, not the result of coercion. A differentiated approach to those who occupy political positions is also unacceptable”.

The name of Dr. Gevorg Grigoryan can often be found among those who actively advocate against vaccination. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Rodina Foundation, established by the former head of the National Security Service Artur Vanetsyan.

The doctor recruited a small team and launched the COVID-19 Armenia: Fact-Finding Group campaign. This Facebook page often posts unfounded criticism of the authorities.

One of the leaders of the anti-vaccination campaign is the head of the Zartonk National Christian Party, lawyer Ara Zohrabyan, who is speaking against compulsory vaccination. Within the framework of the Free Will project, a few months ago he applied to the administrative court with a demand to invalidate legal acts and decisions of the Minister of Health.

Given the fact that a significant part of the Armenian media is concentrated in the hands of the opposition, they also play an important role in the anti-vaccination propaganda.

As a result, the health problem in Armenia is transforming into a political one, where the main players in the anti-vaccination campaign are tasked with proving the government’s failure in preventing the spread of pandemic and in implementing an effective vaccination process.

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