04 Sep | Italian school and compulsory vaccinations
Due to the spread of some diseases that were once believed to have been eradicated, such as measles (more than 2500 cases in Italy since January), Italian laws now make compulsory 12 vaccinations for children between 0 and 6 years of age.
They are vaccines against: polio, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, pertussis, haemophilus B, meningococcal B and C disease, measles, rubella, mumps and chickenpox. Children who were not vaccinated in accordance with the law cannot be enrolled in nursery school and kindergarten.
Children between the ages of 7 and 16 attending compulsory school must be vaccinated, as well as submitted to all required booster doses. In this case, however, any delay in complying with the vaccination schedule will not prevent school enrollment. If one or more vaccines have not been administered, the school is required by law to report the violation to the local health agency (ASL), which will summon parents, requiring them to comply with their obligations.
If parents do not comply with the request, they will be subject to fines assessed by the relevant Health Agencies, and which may range between 500 and 7,500 Euro. In addition, parents who violate this requirement will be reported by the ASL to Juvenile Courts, which have the authority to suspend parental rights.
Vaccinations may be omitted or deferred only in the event of ascertained danger to a child’s health, which must be proven by medical certification. Children who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons will be included in classes with other non-vaccinated or non-immunized children.
If a child already had any of the childhood diseases listed above, his/her family is required to submit relevant medical records certifying that antibodies to fight a given condition have already been developed.