BERLIN, May 7: Parents in Germany who refuse to vaccinate their children against measles could face fines of up to 2,500 euros (about 2,800 U.S. dollars), according to a draft law put forward by Health Minister Jens Spahn.
The minister also proposed that children without measles vaccinations be banned from going to daycare facilities, to protect others who are too young or medically unable to receive a measles immunization.
“I want to eradicate measles,” Spahn told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag Sunday.
Germany registered one of the highest numbers of measles cases among EU/EEA member states between March 2018 and February this year, at 651, according to the European center for Disease Prevention and Control. Topping the list was Italy, with 2,498 reported cases.
Across the globe, measles killed about 110,000 people, mostly children, in 2017, up 22 percent from the year before, according to a recent study published by the United Nations Children’s Fund.
In the first three months of this year alone, more than 110,000 measles cases were reported worldwide, up nearly 300 percent from the same period last year.
Poor health infrastructure, low awareness, civil disorder, complacency and a backlash against vaccinations in some cases were driving forces in these recent measles outbreaks, according to the agency.
(AGENCIES)
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