A French couple have received a two-month suspended jail sentence for refusing to vaccinate their two young children.

Marc and Samia Larere were given the sentence in the criminal court at Auxere, 175 kilometres south of Paris, on Thursday.

The couple refused to vaccinate their children against polio, tetanus and diphtheria because they believed the vaccine would do more harm than good.

The case has attracted widespread attention in France where strict vaccination laws mandate childhood immunisation.

The court was told the couple refused to vaccinate their children, aged three and 15 months, against polio, tetanus and diphtheria because they believed the vaccine would do more harm than good.