A controversial bill that would allow healthcare workers struck off during the pandemic for serious violations related to anti-vaccination beliefs to apply for reinstatement has passed the lower house of Italy's parliament. The measure, championed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, is strongly backed by its coalition partner, the League.
The bill's approval in the lower house reportedly depended on support from National Future (FN), a far-right force led by former army general Roberto Vannacci. The measure still requires a vote in the Senate, which is scheduled for January.
Medical experts have expressed alarm over the bill's progress, not due to the number of healthcare workers involved, which is believed to be very small, but because of the potential risk of further eroding trust in vaccines. A report published in February by the University of Turin found that nearly one in two Italian adults are hesitant about vaccination, driven more by misinformation and a lack of institutional trust than by fears over vaccine safety.
This year, Italy has seen a resurgence in measles, with 472 infections reported in the first five months, compared to 322 in the same period last year. More than half of these cases were in young adults. Flu vaccine uptake among people aged 65 and over has also dipped to 49.81% this season, the first time it has fallen below 50% since the winter of 2014-15.