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In Germany, parents who refuse to vaccinate their children against measles will have to pay a fine of up to 2,500 euros ($ 2,800) and their children will be kicked out of kindergarten, according to a bill introduced by the minister of Health, Jens Spahn.
"I want to eradicate measles," said Spahn to mass circulation Bild am Sonntag paper. "All parents need to be assured that their children will not be infected and threatened by measles."
Read moreWhy is measles so deadly and vaccination so important?
According to the German Robert Koch Institute, 93% of children benefit from the necessary vaccination. However, it still remains below the recommended rate of 95%.
Spahn said the ban on kindergarten would help protect children too young to receive vaccines.
"The kindergartens have children under 10 months old, who are too young to be vaccinated and are therefore particularly at risk," Spahn told the newspaper.
All by 2020
The bill proposes a different solution for parents of students. As primary education is compulsory in Germany, the law could not prevent unvaccinated children from attending school. Instead, their parents would be required to pay the fine.
In addition to newborns, there are also older children whose health prevents them from being vaccinated, such as organ recipients or people with leukemia. Their parents will have to provide proof of the state of health that prevents them from being vaccinated.
By July 2020, other parents who are trying to enroll their children in kindergartens or schools will need to provide confirmation of their children's immunization.
Vaccines will also become mandatory for employees in hospitals and private practices.
Health Minister Jens Spahn wants to increase the number of people vaccinated against measles
The infection rate soars
The bill is currently being discussed in cabinet. It is expected to be adopted this year and come into force in March 2020.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations have repeatedly called for action in response to the recent increase in measles outbreaks around the world. Measles killed 136,000 people last year and the number of people infected with the disease has increased by 50% compared to 2017.
Developed countries have also experienced an increase in measles infections, in part because of a demystified claim that vaccines are at the root of autism. Germany, which has had significant outbreaks in several of its states, registered 170 measles cases in the first two months of 2019.
dj / amp (dpa, afp, epd)
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