Parental obligation to vaccinate children under Austrian civil law?

Excerpt

The recent measles outbreak in Styria has once again stimulated the vaccination debate. Among medical experts there is consensus that the advantages of vaccination far outweigh the risks. Complications of infectious diseases would be much more dangerous than possible side effects of commonly used vaccines. Thus, doctors strongly recommend parents to have children vaccinated; however, more and more parents decide against the immunization of their children, for different reasons. Therefore, some doctors now propose compulsory vaccination. They point out that vaccination campaigns have obviously not achieved sufficient immunization rates. On the contrary, vaccination rates are decreasing and infectious diseases such as measles are on the rise again. Critics object that legal obligations to get vaccinated would interfere with the individual’s right to self-determination. With respect to children, compulsory vaccination would restrict the parents’ right to decide about health care for their family. …