On Friday, July 23, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski was a guest on the “Graffiti” program on Polsat News.

Will the government pay people to get vaccinated?

Minister: “We are constantly analyzing all the ideas emerging in Europe; we even have a catalogue in which they are all listed. And we are trying to assess them through the prism of various criteria.”

He added: “At this point, we are not preparing this idea for implementation.”

Is the vaccination program dying?

Health ministry chief: “Approximately 70 percent of people want to get vaccinated, while the rest either have very serious doubts or are outright opponents.”

Will there be restrictions for the unvaccinated?

Adam Niedzielski:

I am primarily in favor of persuasion [do szczepień]. I believe that using hard-line measures leads to a counterproductive reaction, namely strengthening anti-vaccination attitudes.

But when pressed on the matter, he added:

These are all open questions.

Will people have to pay to get vaccinated from October?

As the health minister assured, both the vaccine and vaccination will certainly be free until the end of September. What happens afterward is not yet known.

Will vaccinations be mandatory for medical staff?

Minister:

This is one of the ideas that, in my opinion, should be implemented first, if we become convinced that it is necessary.

How severe will the fourth wave of COVID-19 be?

The official said that analyses indicate that, if the worst-case scenario comes true, there will be between 10,000 and 15,000 daily infections—half as many as at the peaks of the second and third waves. There will certainly not be as many hospitalizations either.

Should teachers be vaccinated by force?

Minister: “At this point, I am not in favor of this solution.”

Return to schools or hybrid learning from September?

Adam Niedzielski:

The baseline scenario we are adopting and expect to implement is the traditional return of children to in-person education.

Will there be another lockdown?

Health ministry chief: “Let us look at what is happening in the United Kingdom. We have a very high number of infections, yet Prime Minister Boris Johnson has decided to lift all restrictions.”

He added:

The probability of a lockdown in the event of a fourth wave is much lower than during previous waves.

But he immediately stressed that, if any restrictions were introduced, the government would certainly take regional vaccination rates into account.

Is the National Vaccination Program a failure?

The minister replied:

Together with people who are registered, we have reached 56 percent of the adult population, which is truly a decent rate, especially considering the willingness [Polaków] to get vaccinated and to engage in prevention.

Details at polsatnews.pl. What do you think? We invite you to join the discussion.