The issue of compulsory vaccination "is being discussed," said Health Minister Luis Francisco Sucre on Thursday, December 30. He was speaking on TVN  following the administration Attorney's Office announcement that the Ministry of Health (Minsa) can order the extraordinary immunization actions that are necessary, "which will be mandatory for all residents of the Republic" of Panama, in response to a query made by Minister Sucre.

"The National Government and the Minsa are sufficiently clear and documented to be able to make the Covid-19 vaccine mandatory or not," Sucre said

He stated that the government of Laurentino Cortizo "is not taxable", so "we are doing all the work so that everyone has access to health." He specified that it is being discussed to what extent it is good to allow 35% of the population to have not yet been immunized. “It could be for accessibility. We are making efforts so that the vaccine reaches the entire country, "he added.

the official insisted that mandatory vaccination "is an issue on the table, we are going to continue discussing it." "But we do believe that the right of one ends where the right of the other begins," he said.

State of emergency
 Minister Sucre said that, in the Cabinet Council session yesterday, it was voted to lift the state of emergency, but only what has to do with the part of purchases and acquisitions.

“Let's remember, the country is in the middle of a pandemic. At this time, the only thing that was raised, by unanimous vote yesterday, is the acquisition and purchase of goods or services through the emergency system ”.

He stressed that "the country remains in an emergency situation, the world remains in an emergency situation." Therefore we must continue to handle ourselves that way," he said.

Through Cabinet Resolution 11 of March 13, 2020, the “national state of emergency was declared, as a consequence of Covid-19, The state of emergency has allowed the Executive to make multi-million dollar exceptional public contracts.