Compulsory immunization in Romania

The prospect of compulsory immunization in Romania has gathered both supporters and opponents

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Roxana Vasile, 03.03.2020, 13:31

Romanian society has had to cope with many delicate topics in recent months with a powerful dividing impact on society. Adding to that was the latest bill on the compulsory vaccination of children and adults. Kept under wraps by Parliament for years, MPs decided to bring the bill back in the limelight and pass it swiftly, apparently in reaction to the coronavirus crisis. In brief, the draft law stipulates that all vaccines included in the national immunization programme become compulsory. Other vaccines might become compulsory in an epidemiological emergency, with the exception of special cases where physicians confirm the vaccine is ill-advised. Parents will have to say whether they agree to vaccinate their children at birth. If parents say no and there is no certified medical opinion against taking the vaccine, family physicians will have to present the benefits of vaccination to the parents. If parents still refuse, then a group of specialists with the Health Ministry will provide counseling over the course of three months. If at the end of a year parents still refuse to vaccinate their child, they will be handed a warning and subsequently a fine of up to 2,000 euros.

At the same time upon enrollment in nursery or primary schools the leadership of the schooling unit must ask parents to produce a certification attesting to the observance of the national vaccination scheme or the existence of medical exemptions or a timetable for administrating the missing vaccines. Another provision in the bill is that the Health Ministry must at all times have a stockpile of vaccines covering the demand for 18 months. Anti-vaccine supporters have been piling pressure on MPs, sending hundreds of messages asking them not to vote a law “that will subject children to forceful injections” imposed by “an occult global mass”. They are invoking freedom of choice as opposed to dictatorship, fearing vaccines might be genetically engineered. Considering 2020 is an election year, political parties have either overtly argued in favor of compulsory immunization, or decided to let each of their members vote his own way.

The Social-Democratic Party and Pro Romania Party in opposition say they firmly support the compulsory vaccination of children that would protect them against epidemiological risks. The National Liberal Party in power and Save Romania Union in general favor the bill, although there have been some voices on both sides opposing the draft law. We recall that, according to UNICEF statistics, Romania reported some 19,000 cases of measles inflections over 2016-2019, a total of 60 people dying to the epidemic. Most cases were reported in unvaccinated children.

(Translated by V. Palcu)