Rome mayor challenges compulsory vaccine lawChildren who have not received compulsory vaccinations will still be able to attend school in Rome, city mayor Virginia Raggi said on Thursday in a letter to the Italian Health Ministry.
Rome's city council unanimously approved a motion which ruled that even non-vaccinated children had a right to state education. This directly contradicts a government decree passed in May 2017 which made several vaccinations compulsory for children starting at state schools, and states that unvaccinated children under the age of six should not be allowed to attend state education.
Vaccines against meningitis and measles, cases of which rose almost six-fold last year, were among those made obligatory for the first time.
But in a letter sent by Raggi to Italy's ministers for health and education, she said that the lack of vaccination should not mean children lose their right to state education.
She also pointed out that while the law requires unvaccinated children to be removed from nursery school (for ages 0-6), this is not the case for children of primary school age, whose parents have to pay a fine. This punishment, Raggi argued, implies that "infection is not the main concern".
Raggi's party, the Five Star Movement (M5S), has a majority in the city council and the party, along with the far-right Northern League, has included a plan to scrap the compulsory vaccine law altogether in its election campaign.
Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin responded on Friday morning in a video posted to Facebook in which she said: "You can't joke with our children's lives. The vaccine decree was created to protect those children too small to be vaccinated and those suffering from diseases which mean they cannot be vaccinated."
Lorenzin added that both the Italian Council of State and Constitutional Court had overruled an earlier motion from the Veneto region which challenged the vaccine law, and said: "I do not want municipal authorities led by anti-vaxxers to bring forward positions which are very dangerous for public health."
Speaking to Repubblica, the minister further said that it should be down "the law and the scientific community" to decide on the necessity of vaccines, rather than mayors or local authorities.
A growing anti-vaccine movement across Italy is thought to be one of the causes in the recent drastic rise in measles cases, and it has become highly politicized in the run-up to the March 4th general election.
Italy was one of the countries where discredited claims of a link between the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination and autism had a significant impact on public perceptions of the safety of the jab.
The M5S has also been heavily criticized for its role in raising doubts over the efficacy of vaccinations. A law proposal put forward by the party in 2014 called for "better information and possible denial of administering vaccinations" and cited the debunked studies.
Hans, Up until yesterday the BBC Radio 4 programme, 'From our own Correspondent' had been an interesting, propaganda free listen. Now they have infiltrated even that. There was an item on how necessary and vital the yellow fever vaccine was in the Zika infested Brazil. (I may have missed something of interest as I had to switch it off.)
Posted by: susan welch | February 04, 2018 at 05:29 AM
Posted by: Barry | February 03, 2018 at 02:54 PM
You are perfectly correct .
Vaccination is a completely failed technology in terms of healthcare.
Vaccination is a complete and total success in terms of warfare.
Every vaccine Harms.
The resistance in Italy must be marvellous and substantial.
"Global Slow Kill" are being forced into retreat hopefully. GSK
Posted by: John Stone | February 03, 2018 at 08:46 AM
But John , it is mainstream middle ground parties behind all these vaccines and it is only extreme voting that will save us from annihilation-extermination.
People need to abandon the traditional (& compromised) political parties.
Just look at the damn BBC, a wolf in lambs clothing.
Disband the BBC
Posted by: Han Litten | February 03, 2018 at 08:17 PM
If you read this carefully you will see this ruling is very limited... First, it applies only to residents of Rome and secondly, it applies only to those 0- age 6. Once they go to elementary school, it no longer applies. One either gets the required vaccinations or one must pay a huge fine every year they are not vaccinated. I have friends livng in Rome and relatives too and they are not happy with this limited ruling.
Posted by: Maurine Meleck | February 03, 2018 at 04:29 PM
Anybody reading this will not doubt agree, that we have a serious problem, still mostly in hospitals, nursing homes, and other types of residential healthcare facilities, with antibiotic resistant bacteria.
So, when will they admit there's a problem with VACCINE-RESISTANT VIRUSES?....
Has anybody looked into the possibility, that in a small percentage of cases, certain persons develop so-called "autism", which could be a type of vaccine-mutated viral infection?
I'm only asking what to me, seem very reasonable questions which need to be asked, and answered!
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, Everybody!
I'm glad to see that Rome city mayor Virginia Raggi has a clear-thinking brain.
Posted by: Bill | February 03, 2018 at 03:28 PM
A few months ago Polly Tommey and Dr. Wakefield posted a conversation of theirs in which they were discussing the possible benefit of Italian parents requesting a monovalent measles vaccine. I think AW was explaining that the Italian government was obliged to make one available and that by failing to do so was a violation of the law that supports compulsory vaccination. I may be making a mess of the point AW was trying to make but I'm wondering if there's any more information regarding this? Is this still relevant?
***********
My personal view is that no vaccine is safe or effective.
And although a lot of people have scolded me for even having that belief, not a single one of them has ever produced science to prove me wrong.
In my opinion, the only argument to be made here is for informed consent, and the subsequent right to choose without any form of prejudice.
Posted by: Barry | February 03, 2018 at 02:54 PM
A few months ago Polly Tommey and Dr. Wakefield posted a conversation of theirs in which they were discussing the possible benefit of Italian parents requesting a monovalent measles vaccine. I think AW was explaining that the Italian government was obliged to make one available and that by failing to do so was a violation of the law that supports compulsory vaccination. I may be making a mess of the point AW was trying to make but I'm wondering if there's any more information regarding this? Is this still relevant?
Posted by: annie | February 03, 2018 at 01:13 PM
This sounds promising if it actually translates into protection on the ground level.
But it's clear "infection is not the main concern" (at least in the U.S.) or "public health" (possibly more the persona of "public health" presented by corporate media) would be promoting healthy vitamin D levels, vitamin C intake, immune system supporting minerals, and other healthy practices in addition to any "safe and effective" vaccination if any truth was to be found underlying their policies.
I've come to the opinion that if vaccines were as they claim (or often lead people to believe), they wouldn't be encouraging their use. One could argue they wouldn't have to...but I'm not sure you wouldn't have to actually search far and wide to find one quietly made in a garage somewhere hoping to stay under the regulatory agencies radar?
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | February 03, 2018 at 12:59 PM
I have heard on youtube how Melania Trump said that she is banning flu vaccines in the WH. It was real. Trump also warned Americans not to take deadly flu vaccines.
Posted by: no-vac | February 03, 2018 at 12:23 PM
Patricia,
Re the Melania Trump banning flu shot article, she is directly quoted in the article. Would they get away with misquoting her and making this all up? I don't think so.
Posted by: Linda1 | February 03, 2018 at 10:22 AM
Beatrice Lorenzin says: "You can't joke with children's lives", but that is exactly what she does, or worse. In 2015 Lorenzin told TV audiences that 270 children had died in a recent outbreak of measles in London - this was a total manipulative fiction. Only four people have died from a measles infection in the UK since 1992.
http://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3429/rr-7
Moreover, it is a matter of record that the reason for the move to compulsory vaccination was to cut a deal with the CEO of GSK, Andrew Witty, over inward investment.
http://www.ageofautism.com/2017/12/john-stone-presents-written-evidence-to-uk-parliament.html
Writing as someone generally unattracted to the politics of the far Right or far Left I find this disgusting, and an absolute human betrayal. And when people are betrayed by the "middle ground" just where are they supposed to go?
Posted by: John Stone | February 03, 2018 at 08:46 AM
This punishment, Raggi argued, implies that "infection is not the main concern". Hallelujah! Go Italy!!!
Posted by: Jill | February 03, 2018 at 08:05 AM
There is a seismic challenge to mandatory vaccination laws recently passed in Italy, happening right now in that country A very powerful lobby consisting of several hot shot lawyers is taking the Italian Health Ministry to the Court of Human Rights on the basis the new laws are undemocratic which of course they are Dontja just love this passionate country!
BTW can't find the thread now but the comment that Melania has forbidden the flue shot in the White House is reportedly 'fake news' I love the idea of her ordering the whole House staff around but I doubted it was true Much as I believe she would have liked to do so. I like this lady She has a natural grace It may well be true however that their son had vaccine problems
Posted by: Patricia pratt | February 03, 2018 at 07:35 AM
"Rome's city council unanimously approved a motion which ruled that even non-vaccinated children had a right to state education."
It sounds like Rome has become a "sanctuary city" for non-vaccinated children.
Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin said: "the law and the scientific community" to decide on the necessity of vaccines, rather than mayors or local authorities."
One would have thought the Health Minister has heard of the Nuremburg Trials following WWII .. wherein the universal .. humanitarian law of "Informed Consent" was adopted .. to make certain that INDIVIDUALS never again are subject to a government where .. "the law and the scientific community" make decisions .. in clear violation of the citizen's HUMANITARIAN right to INFORMED CONSENT.
Tyranny is tyranny .. and any government where "the law and scientific community" are making decisions exclusive of the people's "informed consent" .. is .. by any definition .. tyranny.
Posted by: bob moffit | February 03, 2018 at 06:30 AM