New plan says no vaccination no school

May 12 2008

New proposals by Britain's Labour government will see children banned from starting primary school unless they have been vaccinated.

The proposals will mean parents will have to provide proof their children have had the full range of vaccinations when they apply for a place in school which the government hopes will lead to an increase in the take-up of the measles, mumps and rubella triple jab.

Labour says parents need to protect their children and science has provided the means to do that.

If the plan goes ahead almost 100,000 children could be barred each year from schools in England and Wales based on current vaccination rates.

Under the scheme children under two would also be vaccinated each year against flu and have additional jabs to protect against chicken pox and winter vomiting virus.

The British Medical Association, has however called the plan "morally dubious" and says it is likely to backfire.

Vaccination rates for the MMR jab plunged after research, since discredited, suggested a link between the triple vaccination and autism.

Parents who refuse to vaccinate their children could face penalties and children who had missed vaccinations would be forced to attend a "catch-up" session before schools starts.

In the U.S. parents are threatened with jail if their offspring are not immunised.