Vegans may be exempt from compulsory Covid vaccination laws – here’s why

Johnson: Full vaccination required for clubs by end of September

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Employers who do decide to insist that employees are double-jabbed before returning to the office may then face legal action. This is due to the fact that the Coronavirus jab, and all current medications go through animal testing. However, no animal product is used within the vaccine.

Although the UK Government has only introduced mandatory vaccinations for care home staff from October, some big firms in America have enforced so-called “jabs for jobs” laws.

Netflix and Google are among these big US companies and Foreign secretary Dominic Raab commented on Thursday that it was a “smart policy.”

There is currently an estimation of half a million Brits who do not consume animal products and it is those that believe in ethical veganism who are protected.

The website Vegan Friendly states that a dietary vegan is someone who simply follows a plant-based diet, but they may invest in non-food items or services that have used animal products.

Ethical vegans are those who exclude as “far as is possible and practical” all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty.

This includes leather, silk or wool. They reject the commodification of animals altogether.

A spokesman for Lewis Silkin, a law firm, told the Telegraph: “Some ethical vegans may disagree with vaccinations on the basis that they will inevitably have been tested on animals.

“Ethical veganism has previously been found to amount to a belief, capable of being protected.”

In 2020, a judge in a Norwich based UK Employment Tribunal ruled that ethical veganism is a philosophical belief meaning it is now protected by the Equality Act 2010.

The Vegan Society has since encouraged people to get the COVID-19 jab.

A spokesman for the society said: “It has never been more important for us to talk about the definition of veganism in the context of medications, including vaccines.

“The definition of veganism recognises that it is not always possible to avoid participating in animal use, which is particularly relevant to medical situations.

“In the case of COVID-19, vaccination will play a fundamental role in tackling the pandemic and saving lives.

“As there is currently a legal requirement that all vaccines are tested on animals, at this point in time it is impossible to have a vaccine that has been created without animal use.”

These protections will also cover people in other categories such as religious groups, certain medical conditions and certain disabilities.

Individuals who are not allowed back to work on the basis of refusing the Covid vaccination could claim for constructive dismissal.

Clare Chappell, an associate solicitor at Peacock & Co, told The Evening Standard: “Somebody at some point who is an anti-vaxxer is going to bring a claim that an anti-vax belief is a philosophical belief.

“I think it’s going to throw a lot of interesting developments into discrimination law over the coming months and years.”

This comes as the UK Government is yet to announce which places and large public events will be made mandatory for people who are double-jabbed.

Previously users of the NHS app were given the choice of using the app to show proof of vaccination.

Source: Read Full Article