Rethinking vaccine mandates through the lens of penalties and incentives: A 7S framework approach.

Publication date: Dec 31, 2026

Conceptually, current definitions of vaccine mandates involve two key elements: the requirement to be vaccinated and sanctions for non-compliance. However, during COVID-19, governments frequently introduced vaccine mandates in contexts where people were already denied access to work, travel, and social activities due to lockdowns and restrictions. This important context disrupts the standard operation of vaccine mandates. Accordingly, this paper explores COVID-19 vaccine mandates in New South Wales (Australia), France, Israel, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam, where mandates primarily served as incentives to restore basic rights to travel, work, and access public spaces, that were restricted during the pandemic. Through document analysis and key informant interviews, the paper examines how governments employed this “removal and restoration” model and explores how mandate policy instruments create incentive structures. In discussing the implications of mandates in relation to lockdowns and restrictions, and the perception of mandates as “coercive offers”, the paper proposes a revised conception and a 7S vaccine mandate framework by adding synergy and sustainment to the existing 5S model. It concludes by outlining the significance of this revised conception and framework for vaccine mandate policy research, design, and communication.

Semantics

Original Article