There will be 10 mandatory vaccines in Italy starting from September 2017. This is foreseen by the decree transformed into law by Parliament on Friday 28 July. In addition to the number and list of mandatory vaccines, the main changes introduced by the legislation concern the limits for enrolling children in school and the penalties for parents who do not respect the rules.
1) HOW DOES IT WORK FOR NURSERY AND NURSERY SCHOOL?
In particular, the law prevents children who have not been vaccinated according to the new provisions from enrolling in nursery and nursery school. In this age group (0-6 years), parents who insist on not wanting to vaccinate their children will be forced to keep them at home.
2) AND FROM PRIMARY ONWARDS?
Different speech instead for compulsory schooling, i.e. from primary school (the old elementary school) onwards. In this case, unvaccinated children and young people will still be able to go to school, but their parents will have to pay a fine.
3) HOW MUCH ARE THE SANCTIONS AMOUNT?
At the beginning it was expected that these penalties would be particularly high (from 500 to 7.500 euros), but in the passage to the Senate their amount was significantly reduced: now it ranges from 100 to 500 euros. This part of the law has been the subject of particularly heated criticism, because according to some it would introduce discrimination based on wealth: in fact, wealthier parents could choose to pay the fine in order not to vaccinate their children.
On the other hand, the provision establishing the loss of parental authority has been cancelled.
To keep the situation under control and establish who is in order and who is not, a new vaccination registry will be established in which all vaccinated people, those to be vaccinated and the doses administered will be recorded. School, social and health workers will be able to provide self-certification.
4) WHICH ARE THE MANDATORY VACCINES IN ITALY IN 2017?
Also in this case the passage to Palazzo Madama has changed the text significantly, reducing the compulsory vaccines for access to school from 12 to 10. Those against meningococcus C and B have been skipped, which will in any case be recommended by the local health authorities and family doctors.
As for the 10 vaccines, six have become permanently mandatory. Here's the list:
– poliomyelitis
– antidiphtheria
– anti-tetanus
– viral hepatitis B
– antipertussis
– antiHaemophilus influenzae type b
Four other vaccines, on the other hand, will become mandatory until 2020. At the end of these three years it will be decided whether to confirm their mandatory nature or not. The list is this:
– anti-measles
– anti-rubella
– antimumps
– anti-varicella
All these vaccines can be booked directly at the pharmacy and will be free.
It won't take 10 shots. Two vaccines will suffice: six vaccines can be administered together with the hexavalent (anti-poliomyelitis, anti-diphtheria, anti-tetanus, anti-hepatitis B, anti-pertussis and anti-Haemophilus Influenzae type b) and another four with the quadrivalent (anti-measles, anti-rubella, anti-mumps and anti-varicella).
5) WHAT ARE THE EXCEPTIONS?
Children who have already had one of these diseases are exempt from the obligation of the relative vaccination, as they are already immunised. If, on the other hand, the child has clinical conditions that prevent vaccination, it can be postponed.
