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

Com pulsory 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 chil dren 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 o n 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 furt her 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 C onvention 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.

© Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.

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