A senior member of Italy's far-right League party who once once declared a compulsory vaccination law as "Stalinist" has been diagnosed with chickenpox.

Massimiliano Fedriga had vehemently opposed the introduction of the so-called Lorenzin law; that measure made it compulsory for school-aged children to be immunized against several diseases, including chickenpox, measles, and polio.  Officials drew up the law after a measles outbreak in 2017, to prevent unvaccinated children from attending nursery or pre-school.  It imposes heavy fines on parents who fail to immunize school-age children.

Fedriga's kids had their vaccines, so they're not in any danger from him being confined to his home for four days for observation.  But politically, he believes that families should not be forced to vaccinate their kids.  A prominent Italian microbiologist hopes Fedriga's situation should be a wake-up call to adults who are unwilling to be vaccinated.

"If he had infected a pregnant woman we would be facing a malformed child or an abortion," said prominent Italian microbiologist Roberto Burioni.  "The only way we have to avoid such tragedies is to inoculate everyone to prevent the circulation of this dangerous virus, which could have hit a more vulnerable person."