German proposal to penalize parents of non-immunized children against measles

The German Health Minister has proposed fines to parents of schoolchildren who have not been vaccinated against measles, fearing that a highly contagious epidemic will reoccur, possibly leading to death.

In an interview with the weekly Bild am Sonntag, Jens Chappen said that parents who can not prove that their children are suffering from measles could be forced to pay up to 2,500 euros (2,790 dollars ). The minister also suggested preventing children who had not received measles vaccine from going to day care to protect young people or those who were physically unable to get vaccinated.

Mandatory medical procedures, including vaccinations, are politically sensitive in Germany, and it is unclear whether a youth proposal that has not yet been considered by the government will be implemented. However, there is fear of a return of the disease, which could be controlled once, prompting experts to call for intensification of vaccination campaigns.

The president of the German Medical Association, Frank Ulrich Montgomery, on Sunday welcomed a proposal from the youth. "This is an important step in time," he said in an interview with the German media group RND. Germany has recorded 203 cases of measles during the first 10 weeks of 2019, more than twice the same period last year but less than 2017.

Its neighbor, Switzerland, announced last week that two people had died of measles this year, including a man who had not been vaccinated at age 30 and a 70-year-old man weakened by cancer.

According to experts, if more than 95% of the population is vaccinated, measles does not spread easily and can be effectively controlled. However, in some areas, unvaccinated children or adults may be at the root of an increase in the number of infections, as was the case in the United States.

According to statistics from the World Health Organization, Europe recorded 8,296 cases of measles last year and 72 deaths per infection. Most of the 53218 cases of infection were recorded in Ukraine, an armed conflict having had negative consequences on the health care sector in East of Ukraine.

Popular destinations like France and Italy have also recorded more than 240 measles cases from March 2018 to February 2019, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Greece has recorded more than 1,400 cases of measles and Britain has recorded more than 900 cases during the same period.