Foreign

GERMANY’S constitutional court has confirmed a measles vaccine mandate for some parts of the population.

This means that the measles vaccination requirement introduced around two and a half years ago, including for children in daycare, remains in force.

The Federal Constitutional Court rejected several suits from affected families, the judges in Karlsruhe announced on Thursday.

The encroachments on fundamental rights were not insignificant, the judges ruled, but were currently reasonable.

“Without violating constitutional law, the legislature has given priority to the protection of people at risk of measles infection over the interests of the complaining children and parents.’’

Compulsory vaccination rules aimed to help eradicate measles altogether one day.

Experts assumed that the highly contagious virus could  be eliminated if at least 95 per cent of the population had been vaccinated across the board.

That target had not yet been achieved.

The focus was primarily on community facilities such as daycare centres and schools.

Since March 1, 2020, day-care centres had only been allowed to admit children from the age of one if they were vaccinated or had already had the measles.

The same rules applied to childminders.

Parents of children who were already in daycare had until July 31, to submit proof they had received the jab.

No child was excluded from school because of compulsory education, but parents could  be fined up to 2,500 euros (2,540 dollars). (dpa/NAN) 

Tags: Germany