Mandatory Vaccination in Weifang and Other Places in Shandong Province

(Minghui.org) Currently, cities, districts, and communities in Weifang City, Shandong Province are requiring all vaccine-eligible residents to be vaccinated.

People who are deemed vaccine-ineligible include: those who are allergic to the vaccines and/or their ingredients; those with acute illnesses; those who are experiencing acute exacerbation of chronic illnesses; those who have fevers; and pregnant women.

All those deemed vaccine-eligible must be vaccinated. In one place, some elders in their 80s were dragged to the vaccination site and being forcibly jabbed.

The authorities require that people working in various government agencies and other public institutions provide their vaccination records or doctors’ note to be exempted from being vaccinated. Then the employers would verify the information with the vaccination agency or the doctors themselves.

At the same time, those who haven’t gotten the shots will be questioned multiple times by the authorities, who use “carrot and stick” tactics to try to achieve the goal of mass vaccination. Some places give incentives such as money or gifts, which are very effective in attracting people to get the shots. Some family members were mobilized to “persuade” those who refuse the vaccination.

Some locals said they feel the vaccine mandate has become a political task that must be fulfilled by everyone. Some reported that they saw the Cultural Revolution style slogan of “Resolutely Obey Communist Party’s call, Vaccinating XX Million People” on the street.

Those who’ve been vaccinated said although each person was asked to sign a waiver before taking the shots, very few actually read it carefully. The waiver stated that people received the vaccine voluntarily and were aware of the risks, which may include adverse reactions, sequelae, or even death. The waiver also relieved the vaccination agency, government, or the medical or drug units of any responsibilities should the side effects of the vaccine materialize.

For Falun Gong practitioners in Weifang, some have refused the vaccination, as they are either pregnant or feel strongly that vaccination should be a personal choice that shouldn’t be mandated. But some practitioners have been forced to take the vaccine, after the government threatened to deprive them of housing or retirement benefits.