'Karma': Politician who criticised mandatory vaccination falls ill from chicken pox
A far-right politician known for being outspoken against vaccination has been mocked online for revealing he was hospitalised after contracting chicken pox.
Senior Italian politician Massimiliano Fedriga, who has been a vocal critic of the country’s recent mandatory vaccination rules, reportedly confessed on social media he spent four days in hospital last week being treated for the virus, The Independent reported.
“I’m fine, I’m at home in convalescence, and I thank everyone,” the regional secretary of Italy’s far-right League party reportedly announced.
Fedriga’s revelation he contracted the virus, which can be deadly in adults, was met with widespread ridicule on social media.
Some called it “karma” for his public opposition to Italy’s compulsory vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases, including chicken pox.
hey, @M_Fedriga , nice bit of karma, eh sweetheart? Make sure you don't scratch! https://t.co/MpT7MsbRrE
— Al Quint (@SuburbanVoice) March 19, 2019
@M_Fedriga is an Italian-opposer if vaccinations(including chickenpox) and just got chickenpox. I love it
— Lil Uzi Murf🤘🏼🙄🕊 (@YourManMurf) March 19, 2019
Following a 2017 measles outbreak, the legislation was introduced to prevent unvaccinated children from attending Italian pre-schools.
Parents of school-aged children who fail to immunise their kids now risk being slapped with hefty fines.
While Mr Fedriga served as the League’s head of the chamber of deputies in the Italian parliament, he openly argued parents should not be “coerced” into vaccinating their children, according to The Independent.
He reportedly described the then-ruling Democratic Party as “Stalinist” for trying to “impose” the legislation on families.
Fedriga claims he is ‘not an anti-vaxxer’
The politician later took to Facebook to deflect the backlash, denying he was a supporter of the “anti-vax” movement and accuse the media of reporting “fake news”.
“I’m reading a series of celebratory comments on Twitter because I’ve been hospitalised,” he wrote on Facebook Saturday.
“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.
“They even said I would get chicken pox from my children, not knowing that my children are vaccinated, as I have stated in interviews.”
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