Italy on March 31 became the first EU country to mandate that its health care workers be vaccinated against COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus, in a move the government said is aimed at protecting its vulnerable patients in hospitals. In a decree passed by Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s cabinet, all health care workers, including pharmacists, “are required to undergo vaccination,” and those who refuse to be vaccinated could face suspension without pay for the remainder of the year. “The aim of the measure is to protect as much as possible both medical and paramedical staff and those who are in environments that may be more exposed to the risk of infection,” the government said in a statement. The measure also grants legal protection for those who administer the COVID-19 vaccines, something doctors and nurses had demanded after medics were placed under investigation for manslaughter following the death …