On Thursday, the Lithuanian parliament rejected a proposal by the government to introduce mandatory vaccination against Covid-19 for healthcare and social workers, with 60 MPs voting in favour, 53 against, and ten abstaining.
"We need to use a whole range of measures to minimise the spread of the virus," said Eugenijus Gentvilas, head of the Liberal Movement's political group in the Seimas.
"Every life is worth the effort of MPs to take measures. If we fail to take measures, we must take some responsibility for each death," he added.
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said it was very important to ensure that medical workers can do their work calmly and smoothly and that they are exposed to as few risks as possible.
Meanwhile, Remigijus Žemaitaitis of the Lithuanian Regions Political Group, said the proposed amendments would divide the society from the politicians and were unnecessary. Only about 1 percent of doctors who work directly with patients have not been vaccinated against Covid-19, he added.
"All of our fire is directed at the part of society that is conscious and is helping to fight Covid-19," he said.
The amendments were initiated by the government, which said the measure was aimed at ensuring that health and social care facilities can operate safely amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
The amendments would have included non-medical workers, such as those providing cleaning and catering services. The mandatory vaccination would have only streched during the duration of a state-level extreme situation or a lockdown.
It would have not applied to workers who cannot take the jab for medical reasons or those who have recently recovered from the disease.
Critics of the amendments argue that pandemic management policies should be based on trust and not on coercion.
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