Kyrgyzstan is hosting the European Immunization Week under the slogan «Long Life for All». UNICEF Chief of Communication Sema Hosta announced at a press conference.
She noted that the Immunization Week is an excellent occasion to pay attention to the vaccination of minors. «For centuries people have been looking for ways to protect children from diseases. And vaccines provide that protection, saving up to 3 million children from death each year. Thanks to immunization, it was possible to almost halve child mortality in the world,» she said.
Brett Craig added that reliable and comprehensive information about vaccines is available on the website www.privivka.kg.
The head of the Republican Center for Immunoprophylaxis Gulbara Ishenapysova reminded that the adults also need to be vaccinated against a number of diseases and urged them not to refuse vaccination.
She added that the number of parents, who refuse to vaccinate their children, has increased over the past year. According to Gulbara Ishenapysova, almost half of them make such a decision for religious reasons, about 20 percent doubt the safety of vaccines, some because they do not have complete information about vaccines and for other reasons. «Now, with the support of UNICEF, we are stepping up communication activities,» she added.
European Immunization Week will be held from May 11 to May 18 in Kyrgyzstan. At this time, along with the work of vaccination rooms, 65 mobile teams will be involved in all regions to carry out routine and catch-up immunization of children and adults according to the preventive vaccination calendar.
