Measles Protection Act – Vaccination will become mandatory on March 1, 2020
PROGEDO – your first friend abroad. For us this is not just a statement but a commitment! That is why we regularly inform our customers about current events and happenings that we consider particularly important for you.
In addition to the Immigration Act, on March 1, 2020, another law will also go into effect.
This law is very important for foreign professionals with children, namely the Measles Protection Act. As a consequence of this law all children who are not vaccinated will lose their place in day care. Parents whose school-age children are not vaccinated face fines of up to 2,500 euros!
What exactly does this law mean? From March 1, 2020 parents of all children older than one year who want to go to a day care center, school or other educational institution in Germany must provide proof of a measles vaccination in the relevant institution before starting. For children who already enrolled in one of these institutions, there is a grace period until July 31, 2021. By then they must also provide a vaccination certificate or the child’s medical check book to prove that a measles vaccination has been carried out.
After March 1 children will not be admitted to a day care center or after-school center without proof of the required vaccination. If parents fail to meet this obligation, even after being given a deadline, it will be reported to the responsible health authority. Also the day care center can issue a notice of termination for attending children. None of the mentioned facilities will admit a child without an adequate measles
vaccination after March 1, 2020, as this will be prohibited by law. After the transition period until July 31, 2021, this regulation will also apply to children who are already registered in the relevant institutions. Children under the age of one are not affected, but a one-year-old must have had the first vaccination and at around two years of age, the parents are obliged to provide proof of the second vaccination.
It is different with school pupils, since they are subject to compulsory schooling. These children cannot simply be expelled from school. If the proof is not submitted within a reasonable period of time, the responsible health authority call the parents in for a discussion. Parents who do not comply with the law commit a misdemeanor and can be fined up to € 2,500. There will be no compulsory vaccination, but after the payment of the fine, more penalty payments can be imposed until the parents provide proof of the vaccination.
PROGEDO advises all of its customers who have children to check the current vaccination status of their children immediately and take care of the required vaccination. Any pediatrician or family doctor can carry out the necessary vaccination. In the future there will be no possibility of registering your child in a daycare center or after-school care or your child continuing there without proof of a measles vaccination.