Germany Makes Vaccines Mandatory for Schoolchildren

A recent CNN article discussed a new development in Germany that is bound to cause waves with the anti-vaxxer movement. The German government created a bill that if approved by parliament will require parents to provide evidence of vaccination prior to enrolling their children in school. Families who fail to do so will face fines of up to €2,500 ($2,800).

This relatively extreme measure comes on the heels Germany reporting one of the highest numbers of measles cases in Europe in the last year, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Measles protection requires two doses of the vaccine--97% of German children received the first dose, but only 93% received the second dose in 2017. This may seem like a pretty good portion of the population, but experts say it takes a 95% vaccination rate to make communities immune.