The Constitutional Council has delivered its verdict: compulsory vaccination of children is not unconstitutional. This obligation is in accordance with “the constitutional requirement of health protection” and “that by imposing these vaccination obligations, the legislator intended to fight against three very serious and contagious diseases which cannot be eradicated”. On the other hand, he declared himself not competent to “call into question, in the light of the state of knowledge and techniques, the measures taken by the legislator nor to ascertain whether the objective of health protection which was established. assigned the legislator could have been reached by other means ”.
In the childhood immunization schedule, some vaccines are mandatory while others are simply recommended. Mandatory vaccinations are those against diphtheria and tetanus and against polio. “People with parental authority must ensure that this obligation is respected”, remind the health authorities.
However, the Larère couple, parents of two children, refused for health reasons (they do not want to administer adjuvants present in the vaccines), to vaccinate their two children. This position earned them to be summoned before Auxerre criminal court.
In France, more and more mistrust of vaccines
“The population’s mistrust of vaccines in general has thus increased from 10% in 2005 to 40% in 2010”, according to the National Institute for Prevention and Education for Health, which estimates that between 3 and 5% of children did not receive the injections against tetanus, diphtheria and polio, although they are compulsory. France is also the last industrialized country, along with Italy, to still impose certain vaccines (DTP), in particular conditioning children’s access to nurseries and schools.
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