Romania

Vaccination policy

In Romania there are no compulsory vaccinations.

Vaccines are only recommended, even though many doctors, daycare directors and local public health offices continue to pressure parents to get their children vaccinated.

Since April 2015 there has been an almost permanent media bombardment on the subject of vaccines: officials from the Ministry of Health and the Vaccination Committee were interviewed on TV and in newspapers and announced every month that they were "working on a new law on vaccinations" which would have made a series of vaccines mandatory in Romania. They initially announced that "parents who repeatedly refuse vaccines for their children" risk hefty fines. Then, a few months later, after assessing the impact on public opinion and realizing that there were too many parents willing to fight for their right to refuse vaccinations, they appeared again on TV and in newspapers to announce that " parents will not suffer any financial punishment,” but the new law will provide penalties for all doctors who do not support vaccinations (including the risk of losing their medical license) and fines for directors of state kindergartens and schools who accept unvaccinated children in their institutions. After public debates and protests and numerous letters of protest from many NGOs, politicians have announced that they will not prosecute doctors who do not adhere to the vaccination schedule.

At the end of 2017, 10.279 cases of measles were reported on the site of the Romanian National Center for Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control, of which 1.969 were for the year 2016. This means 8.310 "confirmed" cases of measles in 2017. However , Romania reported only 4.487 confirmed cases of measles to WHO for 2017. The authorities base their propaganda on false numbers, to justify the push for the vaccination law that makes 8 vaccines mandatory.

As of April 2018, the bill is still under discussion and has not yet been voted on by the Chamber of Deputies.

Several deputies published a memorandum with important changes to the bill, which was signed by 90 deputies; the proposed changes refer to the "mandatory" vaccination and "presumed consent", which are contrary to the Constitution and should be eliminated from the bill.

School

In Romania, unvaccinated children can attend any kindergarten of any level.

homeschooling

Homeschooling has been legal in Romania since 2002, when it was included in the Romanian Education Law at the request of the Romanian Homeschooling Association. But it is only allowed for children who cannot go to school. The Romanian Association for Home Education fought for a change in the law and almost succeeded in 2010, when the education committees of both parliamentary chambers approved the bill that would have allowed home education to all children. Unfortunately, the government, including the Ministry of Education, has illegally blocked this amendment to the Education Act.

For more information visit the websiteHSLDA.

Vaccination schedule

For more information visit the websiteEcdc.

Recognition and compensation for vaccine injuries

We are not aware of any vaccine injury compensation laws.