Elite soldiers must be ready at any time: the army insists on mandatory corona vaccinations

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When elite soldiers from the Army Reconnaissance Detachment AAD10 have to evacuate the Swiss embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul, every second counts. For the Ministry of Defense (DDS) of federal councilor Viola Amherd (61), it is therefore absolutely necessary that special units are actually ready for action at any time.

For this reason, the Federal Council maintains the Covid vaccination requirement for soldiers who must be able to be deployed worldwide at short notice. On the one hand, so that health regulations in the affected countries can be observed. On the other hand, because a Covid disease could ‘massively limit’ operational readiness over a long period of time.

The US military has already abolished mandatory vaccinations

SVP Councilor Jean-Luc Addor (59) sees it differently. The security politician cannot understand why the Swiss army still insists on mandatory vaccination against the coronavirus and points out that the US armed forces have also lifted this requirement for their personnel. He hopes that Switzerland will take the same step.

In fact, the Corona-sceptic Republicans in the US Congress had already rolled back the vaccination requirement at the end of 2022 – against the wishes of President Joe Biden (81), who saw it as a safety measure. The decision left open whether or not the Defense Department would reinstate the 8,000 anti-vaccination activists who were fired at the time.

The federal court considers vaccination reasonable

However, the Federal Council is not very impressed by this. Even after the pandemic has largely lost its horror, mandatory vaccination remains important for the state government. The military should not only be deployed in countries where corona vaccination requirements apply for transit or entry. The vaccination also reduces the risk of disease for the soldiers themselves.

The Federal Council refers to a decision of the Federal Court last March. The judges in Lausanne concluded at the time that the Swiss army had rightly dismissed four professional soldiers because they refused the Covid-19 vaccination.

Compulsory vaccination and dismissal if refused constitute an infringement of personal freedom, but this is justified here: vaccination is a preventive measure to enable the immediate deployment of special forces.

No vaccination is required for the rest

For professional soldiers of a special unit, the intervention is considered simple. They have a special legal relationship with the state. Service in the military also comes with a duty of obedience. For the Federal Court, vaccination is therefore reasonable in such cases.

The army does not announce how many army members are affected by the mandatory corona vaccination. A spokeswoman explains that it is confidential how many soldiers can be deployed worldwide. The fact is that there is no mandatory vaccination for all other army members. The willingness to be vaccinated is only required for some functions, such as a hepatitis vaccination for medical staff. Otherwise, those affected will be assigned elsewhere.

Source:Blick