Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines' president, gave a late-night address on television last week.
The hardliner has previously advocated for a shoot-to-kill strategy against drug cartels, but this time he was focused on the coronavirus epidemic and those who refuse to get vaccinated, whom he recommended should be forced to stay at home.
“They should not be permitted to leave their houses if they refuse to be vaccinated,” Duterte added. “They may claim that no law exists, but should I wait for one knowing that many people would perish?”
While many are unsure that Duterte’s threats are even legal under his country’s laws, they represent the most draconian end of the spectrum of a problem that governments and policymakers are tackling around the world: how to persuade unvaccinated citizens to get inoculated.
Governments, corporations, leisure operators, and universities around the world have begun to demand vaccination in response to a global resurgence of Covid-19 driven by the Delta variant, in moves that range from adding more testing hurdles for workers who refuse, to blocking full social participation, to Duterte's vision.
Vaccine mandates – or milder forms of mandates, such as permits and passports – have elicited equally diverse responses.
Denmark was the first country to develop vaccines that had little resistance. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Italy and France, clashing with police in some areas, to protest plans that would need vaccination cards for everyday social activities including dining indoors at restaurants, visiting museums, and applauding in sports stadiums.
Thousands marched in Paris and other French towns this weekend, while Italians marched in Rome, Milan, and Naples for the second week in a row. Germany and the United Kingdom have so far resisted a blanket approach, but vaccines are so widely used in Spain that no incentives are required.
The force of the escalating momentum behind vaccine mandates has been most visible in the United States, where President Joe Biden joined major corporations such as Google, Facebook, and MGM Casinos, as well as the mayors of California and New York, in demanding proof of vaccination or testing on Thursday.
“Right now, too many people are dying or seeing someone they love die,” Biden said at the White House as he unveiled new regulations requiring government employees to provide proof of vaccination or face frequent testing, mask mandates, and travel limitations.
Biden stated, “With freedom comes responsibility.” “As a result, please use your best judgement. Vaccinate yourself, the people you care about, and your country.”
Biden's actions were mirrored by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday, who stated that vaccinated Australians would be subject to "specific regulations" since they presented less of a health risk.
Experts believe the worldwide push for vaccination has been fueled by a confluence of circumstances, including a rise in illnesses caused by the Delta variety, as well as the experiences of a number of nations, notably the United States, whose vaccination initiatives have failed due to vaccine resistance.
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