The Australian government says it won't make COVID-19 vaccines compulsory when they begin the roll-out next month. But lawyers say that won't stop privately-owned businesses from denying service to those who refuse the jab.
So how far can governments and businesses legally go to encourage people to get vaccinated? While Prime Minister Scott Morrison has assured the country that vaccines will not be mandatory, legally, the government is within its rights to make them compulsory. And that wouldn't be an Australian first. The Australian Government made vaccines mandatory in the 19th century to help combat smallpox, which became the first infectious disease to be eradicated worldwide in 1979.
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