The article reflects on the increase in the number of compulsory vaccinations in Italyintroduced by the Lorenzin law of 2017. Starting from the idea of public health, the articleproposes an analysis on the relationship between protection of the population and individualfreedom. Public health policies are born with the aim of promoting wellbeing and health but,at the same time, over the years they have represented an instrument of moral reform. In thisframe, the laws for compulsory vaccinations, starting with compulsory health laws in thenineteenth-century England, show all the dilemmas of the liberal state. The article,therefore, from a historical and theoretical perspective, intends to start an analysis on therelationship between policies for safety, health and social control.
Keywords: Salute pubblica; vaccinazioni obbligatorie; immunizzazione; controllosociale; politiche liberali; libertà individuale.