In the debate on compulsory vaccination, the health minister called for “trust” in vaccines.
The Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn on Saturday called to have “confidence in vaccines”, lambasting hostile parents to this type of medication for their children in full controversy over the vaccination.
“The vaccines, it works, it works, it saved hundreds of millions of lives”, insisted the minister for economic meetings of Aix-en-Provence, regretting the “distrust in the vaccine” is in France “at this point anchored in the population”.
“There are people who do not vaccinate their children. In fact they rely on the protection of others, the fact that there is more of an epidemic, to protect their children”, criticized the minister, adding that our society was “the extremely short memory.”
“The problem is that by not vaccinating children, were measles epidemics was meningitis, we have kids that die every year from preventable diseases. It is unbearable”, she added.
“The state is not afraid”
The Minister of Health has revived in recent weeks the debate on vaccination announcing will make eleven mandatory vaccines for children, as part of a bill that will be considered at the end of the year.
Today only three childhood vaccines are mandatory, the DTP: diphtheria (since 1938), tetanus (since 1940) and poliomyelitis (since 1964). The other eight, including whooping cough, hepatitis B or measles, are only recommended.
“I take my responsibilities”, explained Agnès Buzyn Saturday. “The state has no fear: you have to vaccinate children” and have “confidence in vaccines”, she stressed, adding that “the potential side effects” were “very rare”.
The minister said these days consider in its bill, an exemption clause for parents vehemently opposed to vaccination, while saying to “think” of “sanctions”, although this is not as it “the best way forward.”
The controversy over the vaccination does not only affect France. In Italy, the government adopted on the 19th May a decree, which must be confirmed by Parliament within three months, making 12 mandatory vaccinations to enroll children in school.
