Information Note on the Court’s case-law 235
December 2019
Vavřička v. the Czech Republic (relinquishment) - 47621/13, 3867/14, 73094/14 et al.
Article 2 of Protocol No. 1
Respect for parents' philosophical convictions
Compulsory vaccinations of children and consequences of non-vaccination: relinquishment in favour of the Grand Chamber
Article 8
Article 8-1
Respect for family life
Respect for private life
Compulsory vaccinations of children and consequences of non-vaccination: relinquishment in favour of the Grand Chamber
Article 9
Article 9-1
Freedom of conscience
Compulsory vaccinations of children and consequences of non-vaccination: relinquishment in favour of the Grand Chamber
The six applications concern compulsory vaccinations for children. The first application was lodged by a parent on his own behalf, complaining about the fact that he had been fined for failing to have his children duly vaccinated. The other applications were lodged by parents on behalf of their underage children after they had been refused permission to enrol them in schools or nurseries for failure to comply with the rules on compulsory vaccinations.
Relying on various articles of the Convention, the applicants also refer to the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (Oviedo Convention), considering that compulsory vaccination amounts to a medical intervention for which consent has not been given. They further complain that the decision on which specific illnesses are subject to compulsory vaccination has been left to a mere ministerial decree.
In September 2015 the respondent Government were given notice of these applications under Articles 8 and 9 of the Convention and Article 2 of Protocol No. 1.
On 17 December 2019 the Chamber to which the case had been allocated relinquished jurisdiction in favour of the Grand Chamber.
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This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.
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