Ten vaccines will be mandatory in Italy starting in September 2017. This is provided for in a decree passed into law by Parliament on Friday, July 28. In addition to the number and list of mandatory vaccines, the main changes introduced by the legislation concern the requirements for enrolling children in school and the penalties for parents who do not comply.
1) HOW DOES IT WORK FOR NURSERY SCHOOLS AND KINDERGARTENS?
Specifically, the law prohibits enrolling children who have not been vaccinated according to the new provisions in nursery and preschool. In this age group (0-6 years), parents who persist in refusing to vaccinate their children will be forced to keep them at home.
2) AND FROM PRIMARY SCHOOL ONWARDS?
However, the situation is different for compulsory education, that is, from primary school onwards. In this case, unvaccinated children and adolescents will still be able to attend school, but their parents will have to pay a fine.
3) HOW MUCH ARE THE FINES?
These fines were initially expected to be particularly severe (ranging from €500 to €7.500), but upon passage in the Senate, their amount was significantly reduced: they now range from €100 to €500. This part of the law has been the subject of particularly harsh criticism, as some argue it introduces discrimination based on wealth: wealthier parents, in fact, might choose to pay the fine rather than vaccinate their children.
However, the rule establishing the loss of parental authority has been abolished.
To monitor the situation and determine who is compliant and who is not, a new vaccination registry will be established. It will record all those vaccinated, those to be vaccinated, and the doses administered. School, social, and healthcare workers will be able to provide a self-certification.
4) WHICH VACCINES ARE MANDATORY IN ITALY IN 2017?
Once again, the passage in Palazzo Madama significantly changed the text, reducing the mandatory vaccinations for school admission from 12 to 10. Those against meningococcus C and B have been omitted, although they will still be recommended by local health authorities and family doctors.
Of the 10 vaccines, six have become permanently mandatory. Here's the list:
– anti-polio
– anti-diphtheria
– tetanus shot
– viral hepatitis B
– whooping cough
– antiHaemophilus influenzae type b
Four other vaccines, however, will become mandatory until 2020. At the end of these three years, a decision will be made whether to continue their mandatory status. The list is as follows:
– anti-measles
– anti-rubella
– anti-mumps
– anti-chickenpox
All these vaccines can be booked directly at the pharmacy and will be free.
Ten shots won't be necessary. Two will suffice: six vaccines can be administered with the hexavalent vaccine (polio, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, pertussis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b) and four more with the quadrivalent vaccine (measles, rubella, mumps, and chickenpox).
5) WHAT ARE THE EXCEPTIONS?
Children who have already had one of these diseases are exempt from the relevant vaccination requirement, as they are already immunized. However, if the child has medical conditions that prevent vaccination, it can be postponed.
