On July 17th 2019, the government of Germany passed a bill called The Measles Protection Act, making measles vaccination compulsory for all children in Germany. All children in the country will now have to provide proof of vaccination when enrolling in daycare and school.
The bill cites punishment for failing to provide proof of vaccination as fines up to $2,800 American and potential banning from school enrollment.
RELATED STORIES
The new law does not only apply to children.
Proof of vaccination against measles will need to be shown for any adult (teacher, parent, healthcare provider, etc.) who works at or frequently comes into contact with a health care center, childcare center, school, or any other public institutions.
The bill follows a report stating that German citizens had contracted 203 cases of Measles in the first 10 weeks of 2019 alone.
This is more than double the amount of cases in the same period last year.
When the law comes into effect, all health care practitioners in Germany will be able to administer the measles vaccines, excluding dentists.
The Measles Protection Act will officially be enforced in March of 2020.
With these new regulations come an increase of funding for the Federal Center for Health Education—an addition 2 million euros to be exact.
Before March 2020, vaccine regulations will be enforced as per usual for Germany.
