Children set for 11 vaccinations under new health plan
Minister considers 'temporarily' increasing number of mandatory vaccines amid tightening of rules in other European nations
Children in France may soon face 11 different vaccinations, under plans being considered by new Health Minister Agnès Buzyn.
Currently, three vaccinations are mandatory - against diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis. Another eight are recommended, including whooping cough, hepatitis B and measles. But Ms Buzyn said she was considering the change due to a rise in measles outbreaks in France, which has caused the deaths of 10 children since 2008.
The increase in mandatory vaccinations would be for a limited period of between five and 10 years, she said in an interview with Le Parisien, amid an alarming rise in the number of measles cases across Europe.
Ms Buzyn told the newspaper that the 'double system' of mandatory and recommended vaccinations poses 'a real health problem.
The take-up of vaccinations in France is estimated to be 75%, she said, adding, 'it should be 95%'.
Parents in Germany, meanwhile, who fail to seek medical advice on vaccinating their children could face fines of up to €2,500, under a planned tightening of the law there to combat a measles epidemic. Last month, a mother of three from Essen died after contracting the illness.
Under the law, which was expected to come into force this month, it would still not be illegal to refuse vaccinations in Germany, but parents must prove that they have at least attended a consultation.
The German move came days after the Italian government ruled that parents must vaccinate their children against 12 common illnesses before enrolling them at state-run schools.
