Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Friday that he wants to change legislation passed by the previous centre-left government making 10 vaccinations obligatory for admission to State schools and nurseries.
The legislation recently came into force and in some cases children that were not compliant were turned away from schools.
"Ten obligatory vaccinations are useless and in many cases dangerous, if not harmful," said Salvini, who is also deputy premier and League leader. "I confirm the commitment to allow all children to go to school.
"The priority is that they don't get expelled from the classes".
His League party added in a statement that it was part of the contract for the coalition government with the 5-Star Movement (M5S) that unvaccinated children should be admitted to schools too. Top immunologist Roberto Burioni said Salvini was telling "dangerous lies". "Ten vaccines are not useless, nor are they harmful," Burioni said via Twitter.
"They are the same ones used all over the world. They save millions of lives in total safety.
"They protect you, your children and also all the Italian citizens that you have the duty to protect".
Ex-premier Matteo Renzi of the opposition centre-left Democratic Party (PD) retweeted Burioni's post.
PD lawmaker Emanuele Fiano called for a "moral revolt", saying Salvini "thinks he's the master of the State".
European Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said Friday that vaccines are one of the issues on the agenda of a meeting with Italian Health Minister Giulia Grillo.
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