Italian Senate Ends Mandatory Child Vaccination Law

The Italian senate overturned the country’s mandatory vaccination law Monday, effectively ending required vaccinations for children, according to the Financial Times. The law, which requires children to have 10 vaccinations before attending school, was originally implemented this March after measles cases spiked in the country. But the Five Star Movement and the League, two anti-establishment groups that formed a ruling coalition two months ago, campaigned on ending it—and with Monday’s 148-110 vote in the upper house of parliament, they are close to success. The overturning amendment must now be passed by the lower house; in the meantime, parents will not have to provide proof of vaccination before their children attend school. The amendment has drawn harsh criticism from other parties, who warn that Italy had over 4,000 more measles cases in 2017 than it did the year prior. A member of the nation’s Democratic party noted that this move puts Italy behind nations like France and Germany, which are increasing their vaccination programs, arguing that it has made the nation “a kind of Wild West in which the health of children will be left completely to the family.”