Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- At the seventeenth plenary meeting of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On amendments and additions to some legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan aimed at ensuring the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population" was discussed.

It was noted that currently the number of people infected with coronavirus infection worldwide exceeded 193 million people, and the number of daily infections averaged more than 500,000.

In particular, the number of infected people is steadily growing in the republic, at the same time (on 27 July 2021) the total number of cases exceeded 126 thousand people (the number of deaths - 853 people). 843 people are infected daily (+556 people get pneumonia).

The World Health Organization and international experts have made recommendations that the fight against coronavirus and the prevention of its new waves can be successfully organized through mass vaccination.

Until now, the practice of compulsory vaccination has been introduced in France, Greece, Australia, Italy, Latvia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and other countries.

The Law "On the Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare of the Population" provides that the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Republic of Uzbekistan may introduce preventive vaccinations as part of sanitary and hygienic measures and anti-epidemic measures.

At the same time, the Law "On the Protection of Citizens’ Health" establishes that a citizen or his legal representative has the right to refuse medical intervention or demand its termination (except for the provision of medical care to persons suffering from diseases that pose a danger to others, without their consent).

However, this Law does not contain a provision that in the event of a threat of the spread of infectious diseases, preventive vaccination of the population can be introduced.

Also, the current legislation does not stipulate restrictive measures against persons who refuse to carry out preventive vaccinations in the event of a threat of the spread of infectious diseases.

Based on the above, the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis has developed a draft and adopted the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan aimed at ensuring the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population."

The law provides for:

firstly, a specific norm is introduced into Article 28 of the Law "On the Protection of Citizens’ Health" according to which, by the decision of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Republic of Uzbekistan, preventive vaccination of the population may be introduced in the event of a threat of the spread of quarantine and other infectious diseases dangerous to humans;

secondly, article 113 of the Labor Code provides that if an employee refuses to undergo preventive vaccination introduced in the presence of a threat of the spread of infectious diseases (in the absence of contraindications for health reasons), the employer has the right not to allow him to work.

The adoption of the Law helps to strengthen the legislative framework for organizing mass vaccination of the population and eliminate existing contradictions in the current legislation on the introduction of preventive vaccination in the event of a threat of the spread of infectious diseases.

The law was approved by the senators.