Mandatory vaccination from the perspective of the Federal Supreme Court

Abstract

Objective: To analyze descriptively the conclusions established in the decisions handed down by the Federal Supreme Court in the judgment of Direct Actions of Unconstitutionality 6586 and 6587 and of the Extraordinary Appeal 1267879 that deal, respectively, with the mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 and the refusal to immunization by philosophical and religious convictions. Methods: exploratory research based on bibliographic review and document analysis, in primary and secondary sources, notably in relation to the texts of international agreements, information, data, reports extracted from Brazilian government agencies, including decisions handed down in higher courts. Results: research has shown that mandatory vaccination has long been a reality in Brazil, and has provision for in several legal instruments. At no time did such provisions have their legality and legitimacy actively and emphatically questioned. Conclusion: the study points out that the Brazilian Constitutional Supreme Court, when carrying out the necessary balance of interests and principles, in particular the intangibility of the human body and the inviolability of the home, and the realization of the collective right to health, contended that the compulsory nature of the vaccine as a way of meeting the public interest in the eradication of the virus responsible for the pandemic, it does not offend the constitution, reinforcing that the obligation of the vaccine cannot be understood as forced vaccination, being guaranteed to the administered the right of refusal to undergo immunization.