Politician who opposed chickenpox vaccinations contracts chickenpox

If only... there was... some kind of... vaccination for chickenpox...

We sincerely regret to inform you that Italian politician Massimiliano Fedriga, a prominent anti-vaccination figure in the country, has been treated in hospital after contracting chicken pox.

Fedriga, who is a senior member of the far-right League party, has been a vocal critic of the country's introduction of a mandatory vaccination programme, which treats 12 diseases - including chickenpox.

The legislation was introduced following a measles outbreak in 2017 and prevents unvaccinated children from attending nursery or pre-school. It also imposes heavy fines on parents who fail to immunise school-age children.

Fedriga branded the previous government 'Stalinist' over the new protocol and despite vaccinating his own children, insisted that such measures shouldn't be forced on others.


He's the president of the northeastern Fruili-Venezia Giulia region and spent four days under medical observation after being diagnosed with the virus last week.

Following his discharge, he wrote on social media “I'm fine, I'm at home in convalescence and I thank everyone".

Posting on Facebook, Fedriga also insisted he was not a supporter of the 'anti-vax' movement, members of which choose not to immunise their children, more often than not due to unsubstantiated safety fears.

“I'm reading a series of celebratory comments on Twitter because I’ve been hospitalised,” he said.

“I have always said that I am in favour of vaccines, but to achieve the result it is necessary to have an alliance with families not imposition."