Measles: German minister proposes steep fines for anti-vaxxers

[Darya]

https://www.dw.com/en/measles-german...ers/a-48607873

German Health Minister Jens Spahn is proposing a law that allows for fining parents of unvaccinated children up to €2,500 ($2,800). The conservative lawmaker said he wants to "eradicate" measles.

Parents in Germany who refuse to vaccinate their children against measles would be required to pay up to €2,500 ($2,800) in fines and their children would be thrown out of kindergarten, according to a draft law put forward by Health Minister Jens Spahn.

"I want to eradicate measles," Spahn told the mass circulation Bild am Sonntag paper. "All parents should be secure in the knowledge that their children will not be infected and endangered by measles."

Read more: Why measles is so deadly and vaccination so important

Germany's Robert Koch Institute believes that 93% of children have the necessary immunization. However, this is still short of the recommended 95% rate.

Spahn said the kindergarten ban would help protect children too young to receive any immunization shots.

"Kindergartens have children under 10 months of age, who are too young for vaccinations and are therefore especially threatened," Spahn told the paper.

[Easo]

Seems like a reasonable proposal. Cue the usual bullshit whining, though.

[Yadryonych]

Seems like a reasonable proposal.

That was fast /thread

[Skulltaker]

To expand, he asks for mandatory vaccination for everyone, unless said person has a condition that prevents them from bein vaccinated.

And for the first time in ages I wholeheartedly agree with a proposal by the CDU.

[Orange Joe]

To expand, he asks for mandatory vaccination for everyone, unless said person has a condition that prevents them from bein vaccinated.

And for the first time in ages I wholeheartedly agree with a proposal by the CDU.

It should be that way everywhere imo.

[NED funded]

Anti-vaxx in germany is a serious issue considering the number of measles cases there. Hopefully they can fix that issue.

[enigma77]

https://www.dw.com/en/measles-german...ers/a-48607873

German Health Minister Jens Spahn is proposing a law that allows for fining parents of unvaccinated children up to €2,500 ($2,800). The conservative lawmaker said he wants to "eradicate" measles.

Parents in Germany who refuse to vaccinate their children against measles would be required to pay up to €2,500 ($2,800) in fines and their children would be thrown out of kindergarten, according to a draft law put forward by Health Minister Jens Spahn.

"I want to eradicate measles," Spahn told the mass circulation Bild am Sonntag paper. "All parents should be secure in the knowledge that their children will not be infected and endangered by measles."

Read more: Why measles is so deadly and vaccination so important

Germany's Robert Koch Institute believes that 93% of children have the necessary immunization. However, this is still short of the recommended 95% rate.

Spahn said the kindergarten ban would help protect children too young to receive any immunization shots.

"Kindergartens have children under 10 months of age, who are too young for vaccinations and are therefore especially threatened," Spahn told the paper.

Children under 10 months of age do not belong in kindergartens, they belong on their mothers' tits.

Still anti-vaxxers are morons.

[Skulltaker]

Anti-vaxx in germany is a serious issue considering the number of measles cases there. Hopefully they can fix that issue.

It's considerably more than usual, but it is still 'only' 300 on a population of 83 million. It's just that most of them could have been prevented.

Also, almost 98% recieve one shot, but only around 93% recieve the second shot which bumps your immune system to 'basically immune' (that's a gross simplification and no, you're not actually immune, but it's the best you can get.)

[Ashina]

Anti-vaxxing should be illegal, it endangers public health. Start with fines for the general public and prison sentences for doctors.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

Anti-vaxxing makes no sense to me. Pay for the shot or pay the fine works for me.

[Skulltaker]

Children under 10 months of age do not belong in kindergartens, they belong on their mothers' tits.

Still anti-vaxxers are morons.

And whomever quoted Spahn there did a poor job, or mistranslated. The reccomended age is three, and I don't know about any Kindergarten that would accept younger children. Organized groups for toddlers cared for by mothers are a very popular thing, though, and they can be considerably younger. That's probably what Spahn was talking about, and it was just translated as Kindergarten.

[Ashina]

And whomever quoted Spahn there did a poor job, or mistranslated. The reccomended age is three, and I don't know about any Kindergarten that would accept younger children. Organized groups for toddlers cared for by mothers are a very popular thing, though, and they can be considerably younger.

Daycare is very common and normal here for kids age 0-3. We don't call it kindergarten though and it's usually limited to 4-8 kids per daycare.

[breadisfunny]

i agree with this law.

[Varitok]

Very reasonable with the caveat that there should be an exemption for children that cannot be vaccinated for a medical reason (e.g. they may be immunocompromised) as long as that medical reason is certified at a PUBLIC hospital.

I don't think anyone was ever against that though. No doctor worthy of their license ever force any child to take something they were allergic too with prior knowledge of the allergy.

[Easo]

Very reasonable with the caveat that there should be an exemption for children that cannot be vaccinated for a medical reason (e.g. they may be immunocompromised) as long as that medical reason is certified at a PUBLIC hospital.

Obviously. But I think something like that is included by default. After all, nobody did vaccinate children like that anyway unless by mistake.

[Varitok]

I mostly mentioned it for two reasons:
a) some people are not aware that there are valid reasons not to vaccinate some children or adults
b) some countries do have mandatory vaccination with a waiver from a pediatrician only. But anti-vaxxers find pediatricians willing to sign off that their children have a reason not to be vaccinated and get around the system this way. We would need to find a way to audit those waivers so that anti-vaxxers cannot abuse them.

I guess the only way to do this would be testing at the place they get the vaccine, to stop said exploitation.

[Skulltaker]

Daycare is very common and normal here for kids age 0-3. We don't call it kindergarten though and it's usually limited to 4-8 kids per daycare.

Yeah, same thing in Germany. We call it (Kinder)Krippe, crib, basically. Regional names for it vary greatly though.

[Aggrophobic]

Anti-vaxxing makes no sense to me. Pay for the shot or pay the fine works for me.

You actually pay nothing for the actual shot in this case. It's already covered.

[Software]

Anti-vaxxing makes no sense to me. Pay for the shot or pay the fine works for me.

"The shot" is covered under the healthcare insurance which everybody has.

[Shalcker]

I mostly mentioned it for two reasons:
a) some people are not aware that there are valid reasons not to vaccinate some children or adults
b) some countries do have mandatory vaccination with a waiver from a pediatrician only. But anti-vaxxers find pediatricians willing to sign off that their children have a reason not to be vaccinated and get around the system this way. We would need to find a way to audit those waivers so that anti-vaxxers cannot abuse them.

Maybe you can also go from opposite direction? Restore trust of anti-vaxxers by promising payout for any complications arising within several weeks of vaccine use?