--- title: "Germany Plans to Make Measles Vaccines Mandatory for All Children" description: "The German government just proposed to make measles vaccinations mandatory for children and people who work at kindergartens and schools." date: "2019-07-17" modified: "2019-07-17" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/germany-measles-vaccination-mandatory" categories: - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "europe" - "germany" - "measles" - "the digest" - "vaccination" --- # Germany Plans to Make Measles Vaccines Mandatory for All Children ![The German government just proposed to make measles vaccinations mandatory for children and people who work at kindergartens and schools.]() *\Image: Air Force/Victor Tangermann\* ## Mandatory Vaccinations The German government just proposed a plan to make measles vaccinations mandatory for children and people who work at kindergartens and schools. Parents could face fines of up to $2,800 if they don't get their children vaccinated. To prove they have been vaccinated, parents will have to hand over their children's vaccination records. "Whether in kindergarten, at the childminder or at school — we want to protect all children against measles infection," Health Minister Jens Spahn said in a [statement](). A [growing number]() of EU countries are choosing to make vaccinations mandatory to stop outbreaks of diseases like measles. ## Outbreak The news comes after Germany found cases of the highly infectious disease to skyrocket since early 2018 — the [highest number]() of new cases in Europe. [Hundreds]() of new cases were reported this year alone in the country according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention. Over [44,000 cases]() were reported in the EU from 2016 to 2019. According to the World Health Organization, the percentage of children that received doses of the measles vaccine dropped from 97 peorcent to just [93 percent](). That's in part due to fears that vaccines could have negative health effects such as causing autism — a belief that has been debunked [time and time again](). **READ MORE:** [Germany introducing mandatory measles vaccination for kids]() \[*Associated Press*\] **More on vaccines:** *[First Human Drug Developed Solely by AI Is a Vaccine]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()