One of Italy's top coronavirus experts says she was threatened with a bullet in the mail after she advocated for children to get vaccinated

• One of Italy's top COVID-19 experts said she and her family were threatened with a bullet in the mail.
• The alleged threat came after immunologist Antonella Viola publicly advocated for children to get vaccinated.

One of Italy's top COVID-19 experts says she and her family were threatened with a bullet in the mail after she publicly advocated for children to get vaccinated.

"I received an envelope containing a threat letter and a bullet," immunologist Antonella Viola wrote Thursday on Facebook. "Being ordered to say no children have to be vaccinated or they will shoot me or my family,"

Viola wrote that she's upset because, for the last two years, she's spent her time "serving the community" and that she's angry at people who question the seriousness of her work.

"I will continue to do my best to give science a voice and speak to those who will listen," she added.

Viola was given police protection after the threat, according to the BBC.

Extremist anti-vaxxers in Europe have previously targeted people who support COVID-19 vaccinations, mandates, or science.

A group of extremists was arrested in Germany last month after plotting to assassinate a pro-vaccine governor. At the same time, German politicians and journalists were receiving threatening letters that vowed a "bloody resistance" to vaccination.

Italy is facing a surge in COVID-19 cases and is averaging over 142,000 cases a day, according to data from Worldometers.

To slow the spread of the virus, Italy on Wednesday mandated that, starting on February 15, people older than 50 must get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The government also announced new vaccination, testing, and recovery rules to access certain public places like offices or banks.