Federal Minister of health, Jens Spahn has demanded. Ex-SPD Leader Andrea Nahles has supported the plans. And even the Greens have wrested “Yes”: The vaccination against measles arrived in German politics, the Federal Ministry of health is working under high pressure in a corresponding law.
Now, however, breaks through a critical voice to the Consensus: The German ethics Council has in a recent opinion against a General vaccination pronounced. In the more than a hundred pages long document, the panel discussed possible side effects of the measles vaccine, the right to decide of the individual, his body – but also driven by the infection to others, which can not be vaccinated.
The result: “The measles is a lens are underestimated – often-dangerous infectious disease with a generally accessible and well-tolerated vaccine to avoid.” Consequently, it is important to increase the vaccination rates in Germany. A General mandatory vaccination, but the ethicists see as wrong means. Instead, they rely on a package of measures to tackle the Problem of the Impfverweigerer in the handle, but to reach also the people who are simply poorly informed.
Doctors for giving false information to sanction
This includes from the point of view of the ethics Council, only, adults better about their Vaccinations, educate or parents to remember is mandatory to get Vaccinated. The objective is also the dissemination of fail to contain the information: “To Physicians, disseminate to the public (in particular, social media) misinformation about the measles vaccine, are professional to provide legal sanctions”, – stated in the opinion.
The German Ethics Council
The German ethics Council works within the legal order. The 26 members are to exercise their office independently – must be active members of the government. One of your tasks is to inform the Public about important ethical issues, and to promote social discussion. The topics of the ethics Council specifies in the rule itself, but it can also be mandated by the Federal government or the Bundestag.
The Minister of health, Jens Spahn (CDU) had submitted the beginning of may, the design for a so-called measles protection act, which by the end of this year, the Bundestag decided. It provides, among other things, that all children must present upon entry into the school or Kindergarten with the necessary measles vaccinations. Parents of this duty not to threaten fines in the amount of up to 2500 euros.
The German ethics Council rejects such financial sanctions, in his opinion. It is the proportionality of ends and means must be considered, it says. “So, about the control of a sanction reinforced General mandatory vaccination for children in child care institutions would be expected to cause a major bureaucratic effort.” Moreover, to suffer the consequences of fines to children of financially disadvantaged parents much more than children of wealthy parents.
It is questionable how a mandatory vaccination at all he would grab. Studies indicate that the vaccination Coverage levels among children in European countries with and without vaccination hardly. Therefore, first of all the existing milder means should be exploited to the full, writes the ethics Council. “Legal constraints should, in principle, only as the Ultima Ratio is used, namely where all of the other low-schwelligeren measures are reaching their limits.”
With the exception of vaccination for certain occupational groups
An exception to this, the Committee, however, In the case of certain occupational groups, during their work in contact with particularly sensitive persons, be the prohibition of a compulsory vaccination and the threat of an imminent Activity is acceptable. The Council of ethics applies, among others, on teachers, in particular, the scheme should apply to staff from medicine, nursing, or midwifery. The Affected had taken with her choice of profession voluntarily increased responsibility, stated in the opinion.
The scheme is designed to protect people, at least to a certain degree, can not be vaccinated. The Survival may depend on whether the people in your environment have to vaccinate. Among the Affected, among other things, people with a limited immune system, and infants without an adequate nest protection.
Also in Germany, the draft law provides special rules for people in certain occupational groups. People working in community facilities or contact with children, should have to demonstrate in future vaccination, or by experienced measles infection. Other adults don’t relates to this for the time being. In medical facilities such as hospitals or doctor’s practices the common practice, was the Federal Ministry of health writes in a press release.
Actually, it had committed Germany to eliminate measles by 2015. Instead, more than 400 people are this year already to the virus become ill. So that the body can build up a sufficient level of protection, two vaccinations are necessary. The first should be done according to the Robert Koch Institute at the age of eleven to 14 months, the second at the age of 15 to 23 months. Adults should check, whether you have been vaccinated in Childhood, actually twice.