ISLAMABAD: Health authorities in Argentina’s western province of Mendoza have begun legal proceedings against 15 parents for failing to vaccinate their children, amid a sharp decline in immunization rates across the country.
Mendoza Provincial Health Minister Rodolfo Montero said on Friday that the lawsuits mark “just the beginning,” adding that more parents are expected to face legal action in the coming days.
Argentina’s National Immunization Schedule mandates more than a dozen free vaccines from birth through adulthood. While provinces enjoy significant autonomy over health services, Mendoza introduced new regulations in August allowing authorities to identify and penalize parents who do not comply with vaccination requirements.
Under the new rules, health workers and teachers are required to report unvaccinated children. Parents found in violation may face fines of up to 336,000 pesos (about $230), community service, or even short-term imprisonment.
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Montero stressed that the aim is not to punish families but to protect public health. “The idea is not to persecute families and parents but to manage to immunize thousands of children whose vaccines are not up to date,” he said. He noted that the policy has already shown results, with several parents updating their children’s vaccinations after legal action was initiated.
Local officials say the decline in vaccination is largely due to complacency rather than ideological opposition, such as religious objections.
Nationwide, Argentina’s overall vaccination rate stands at around 65 percent, but coverage for diseases such as measles, rubella and mumps has fallen to about 50 percent. The country has reported its first major measles outbreak in decades, with 35 confirmed cases this year.
Health authorities have also recorded hundreds of cases of whooping cough, which has resulted in the deaths of seven children, underscoring growing concerns over public health risks linked to low immunization coverage.
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