The issue of mandatory vaccination is old, as old as the law that imposes it, in force even before the Portuguese Constitution. A recent update on the Government website brought the subject back to light, revealing that the Executive recovered the requirement for proof of vaccination for children to be enrolled in school.
According to health experts consulted on the matter, the decree establishing this mandatory requirement is considered obsolete, as it has not been put into practice for several years. The law exists, but it was never effectively applied or enforced during this entire period.
The same experts express concern about the return of this requirement, fearing that the noise and controversy generated around the mandatory requirement may harm the good vaccination performance that Portugal has achieved so far. The question brings into debate the balance between legal enforcement and voluntary adherence to vaccination.
