08/04/2021 (Agence Europe) – The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that a vaccination requirement is justified by “legitimate aims of protecting health as well as the rights of others” in a judgment handed down on Thursday morning (8 April). The court judged that it cannot be considered disproportionate for a State (in this case, the Czech Republic) to make this universally practised protective measure a legal duty, recognising that States have a “wide margin of appreciation”. The application was filed on the grounds of a right to respect for private life by parents whose children had been excluded from preschool for lack of vaccination. They were therefore not successful in their suit. It should be noted that with regard to Covid-19, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly have expressed their support for vaccination that is accessible to everyone but not compulsory. (VL)