Tighter controls are expected to be introduced this month (June) following a spate of measles cases across Germany. More than 400 cases had been reported up to April, compared to 325 cases throughout all of last year. One mother from Essen has died in the latest outbreak.

Under new legislation, nurseries, kindergartens and childcare centres will carry out a policing role, and parents who cannot prove their child has been vaccinated will be fined up to Euros 2,500 (£2,178; $2,806), and their child will be expelled from the school.

Germany's health authorities also want all adults born since 1970 to have the measles vaccination if they weren't immunised when they were children, or if they received only one shot.

Tighter measures are also being introduced in Italy. The government last month introduced compulsory vaccinations for 12 common childhood illnesses, including measles, polio, whooping cough and hepatitis B, before children can start state schools.

In announcing the compulsory schedule, Italian politicians attacked "anti-scientific" theories that had seen the take-up rate of vaccinations drop to levels that were too low to prevent an outbreak such as measles.