Italy: Urgent application filed for immediate suspension of compulsory paediatric vaccination

South Tyrolean parents and MPs call for the immediate withdrawal of compulsory vaccination for children on behalf of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano

Source: Transition News, 20 Sept.2024

The controversial compulsory vaccination of children has been causing protests in Italy for some time. Resistance is particularly strong in the autonomous region of South Tyrol after several children were excluded from nurseries and childcare centres due to a lack of vaccinations.

On Thursday, parents of these children , together with the South Tyrolean member of parliament and lawyer Renate Holzeisen, submitted an urgent application on behalf of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano for the immediate suspension of compulsory vaccination, as can be seen on the MP’s website. The request was sent to Health Minister Orazio Schillaci, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the responsible authorities at the Ministry of Health, the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) and the Istituto Superiore della Sanità (ISS).

The focus of the criticism is on the multiple vaccines used, in particular the six-dose vaccine Hexyon from Sanofi Pasteur and the four-dose vaccine Proquad from Merck Sharp & Dohme. These vaccines are used in South Tyrol to fulfil compulsory vaccination requirements. Holzeisen emphasises that the European Commission’s official authorisation documentation shows that neither the safety nor the efficacy of these vaccines have been sufficiently proven by clinical studies. “This applies not only to these vaccines, but to all paediatric vaccines,” said the MEP.

According to the statements of the European Commission and the AIFA, a medical prescription is required for the administration of these vaccines. “A doctor’s prescription cannot be replaced by a national vaccination plan,” emphasises Holzeisen. This is a key point that is being neglected in the current vaccination policy.

The South Tyrolean parents and their authorised representatives also see compulsory vaccination as a violation of the constitution. The exclusion of unvaccinated children from nurseries and other childcare facilities is perceived as discriminatory and is said to violate fundamental constitutional principles, including the right to education, the human dignity of children and the right of parents to freely choose medical treatment for their children.

Holzeisen states that “there can be no compulsory vaccination with de facto experimental substances”. She argues that the current approach to compulsory vaccination is in gross violation of constitutional principles.

A central argument of the urgent motion is parents’ concern for the health of their children. Holzeisen explained: “I am convinced that if parents knew what their children were being injected with, they would hardly expose their children to this Russian roulette.” This statement expresses the deep concern of the parents concerned, who do not feel sufficiently informed and protected by the current vaccination policy.

Holzeisen emphasised that the application to suspend compulsory vaccination should actually have been submitted by the relevant provincial authorities in South Tyrol. She criticised the lack of commitment shown by the provincial health councillor and the provincial governor on this issue. “In view of the blatant situation, the application should have been submitted by the South Tyrolean provincial health councillor and the provincial governor,” said Holzeisen.

In the urgent application, Holzeisen and the parents demand the immediate suspension of compulsory childhood vaccination and the immediate reintegration of the excluded children into nurseries and other childcare facilities. The applicants refer to institutional documents and authorisation reports from the European Commission, which form the basis for their demands. They argue that it is “not a responsible approach” to expose children to vaccination without clear proof of efficacy and without a doctor’s prescription.

Italy has had a strict vaccination requirement for childrenin place since 2017, targeting primary school and kindergarten children in particular. This regulation was passed in 2018 by the then government under Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and was intended to increase immunisation coverage among the population. It stipulates that children without the required vaccinations can be excluded from public educational institutions. This exclusion is now affecting numerous families in South Tyrol who are opposed to their children receiving multiple immunisations.

The debate surrounding compulsory immunisation has led to sometimes violent protests across the country in recent years. Critics see the obligation as a disproportionate restriction of personal and parental freedoms. Supporters, on the other hand, argue that compulsory vaccination is necessary to protect public health and prevent the resurgence of diseases such as measles.

The urgent motion has politically explosive dimensions. Renate Holzeisen, a member of the VITA parliamentary group in the South Tyrolean provincial parliament, has long taken a critical stance towards government measures in the health sector. Her demands are very popular in South Tyrol, as many parents want to see the right to make individual health decisions for their children upheld. The motion could reignite the political debate on compulsory vaccination at national level and force the government under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to reassess its current vaccination policy.

Source:

Renate Holzeisen – 19 September 2024