Polio

20/04/2011 

google french translation:
Belgium: the end of compulsory vaccination against polio is making waves
by Marie Allier

Since the acquittal of a young couple in court LESSINOISE of Tournai, the vaccine against polio is no longer compulsory in Belgium. Emoi of health policy makers. How is France going to react?

The decision, Wednesday, March 16, 2011, by the court of Tournai (Belgium) implies that the vaccine against polio is compulsory in this country when he was the only vaccine required. The court criticized a couple of LESSINOISE failing to vaccinate their children against polio. The couple was acquitted with the direct consequence of the cancellation of the Royal Decree of 1966 which mandates the vaccine against polio between 3 ° and 17 ° month of a child's life.

Now, the law on patient rights, 22 August 2002 shall prevail. This entitles patients to be vaccinated or not, any medical assuming "the free, prior and informed patient."

But precisely, the mother has said she was not against the principle of vaccination. But having heard about the risks that the act of vaccination may include in particular because of additives in the products she wanted to get in vain assurances from his doctor.

Seriously evaluate the risks in the medical

"The law says Ines Wouters, a lawyer at the Brussels Bar, the Royal Decree No. 78 of the healing arts and professional ethics, the physician under its legal obligations and professional obligation to tell parents who consult their (s) child (ren) if the current state of knowledge there may be a problem to a vaccination. Not seriously evaluate the risks could involve a medical professional liability. It is obviously not an obligation of result, but an obligation of means and to do the doctor's duty to inform themselves fully and have access to much data on this subject, there including those that are controversial. So is his own responsibility. If the doctor believes that there is no danger, he will explain to parents why such scientists who report certain risks and / or ineffectiveness of vaccines are wrong. "

"Therefore, without free, prior and informed parents in Belgium can be considered quite rightly not be legally able to give consent for their child for vaccination against polio. They can not be validly pursued by the prosecution in the courts, as regards the application of a royal decree in contradiction with this law. "

Changing the law to impose an obligation?

In response to a question from an MP, Fadila Laanan, Minister of Culture, Broadcasting, Health and Equal Opportunities of the French Community, said fear "that the information relayed by the media following this trial do not affect the efforts of the French Community to educate parents about the value of vaccination. The disorder that this information may unfortunately have led to decrease the rate of immunization coverage.

For his part, Laurette Onkelinx, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health, responded to the query from a member of the polio vaccine. She tells him to have "asked its staff to examine the question of the contradiction between the Royal Decree of 26 October 1966 mandating polio vaccine, and the law on patients in 2002, especially Article 8. If we had come to the conclusion that there is indeed a contradiction, it will be necessary to amend the legislation to maintain the mandatory nature of this vaccination. "

An event that boosted the association Citizen Initiative, which claims a desire to "dismantle the law on patient rights in 2002 in favor of a mandatory immunization with lots of wicked neighbors have always passed."

The Crown appealed March 22, 2011 that will challenge the decision that France is now the only country in Europe where the vaccine is mandatory ....