--- title: "Italy Bans Unvaccinated Children From Going to School" description: "A new law making it compulsory for every child in the country to receive a range of immunizations including measles and polio came into effect this week." date: "2019-03-12" modified: "2019-03-12" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/italy-unvaccinated-children-sent-home" categories: - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "anti vaccine movement" - "italy" - "polio vaccine" - "vaccination" - "WHO" --- # Italy Bans Unvaccinated Children From Going to School ![A new law making it compulsory for every child in the country to receive a range of immunizations including measles and polio came into effect this week.]() *\Image: Quince Media/Tag Hartman-Simkins\* ## No Vaccines, No School A new law in Italy came into effect this week that makes it compulsory for every child in the country to receive a range of immunizations including measles, polio, chickenpox and mumps. Parents had up until March 10 to ensure their children were vaccinated — and, [according to the *BBC*](), schools are sending kids home if they don't have proof of vaccinations. ## Under Six Children under six won't be able to go to nursery and kindergarten without proof of vaccinations. Children between six and 16 are technically allowed to go to school, but their parents will risk a fine of $560 if they remain unvaccinated. The topic has been hugely contentious in Italy, where residents have been [voicing their discontent]() with the new law for months as part of a [global anti-vaccination]() push — despite the fact that vaccinations have [been proven]() to be one of the most cost-effective ways to avoid diseases in human history. The World Health Organization [called the antivaccination movement]() one of the greatest threats to world health in January. ## Herd Immunity In September, [around 1,000 Italian children]() with impaired immune systems were forced to stay at home since they weren't sure their classmates were vaccinated or not. The news also comes after YouTube [pulled ad placements]() on a number of anti-vaccination related channels last month. Research suggests that Italy's vaccination rates for measles dipped from the World Health Organization recommended 95 percent target down [into the mid to low 80s]() over the last two years. When vaccination rates go up above 95 percent, "herd immunity" kicks in — the spread of disease becomes so unlikely that it protects those who can't be vaccinated for medical reasons. **READ MORE:** [Italy bans unvaccinated children from school]() \[*BBC*\] **More on anti-vaccination:** *[Anti-Vaxxers Now One of the Greatest Threats to World Health]()* ## 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]()