The number of people refusing preventive vaccinations is growing in Kyrgyzstan. The Republican Immunoprophylaxis Center informed 24.kg news agency.
According to it, some refuse to vaccinate children on religious grounds, others — on medical advice, and others began to doubt the quality of the vaccine.
«It was allegedly supplied as humanitarian aid. But for the last two years, we did not have a single kind of vaccine, which was supplied through humanitarian missions. Everything is delivered on co-payment basis. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) pays 90 percent of the cost of the vaccines for children under one year, since the Kyrgyz Republic is still a middle-income country, and 10 percent is paid by the state,» the center noted.
«The rest of the vaccines for the children above 12 months old are purchased by the state itself. In 2016, for example, 77 million soms have been spent on the purchase of the vaccines, in 2017 — even more. State funding is growing,» the center stressed.
There are even physicians among the people refusing vaccinations. These are dentists, surgeons, gynecologists, that is, those, who do not work in the immunoprophylaxis program.
«Refusal of vaccination can lead to outbreaks of diseases,» experts warn. «In this case, the farther from the city, the less people refuse vaccinations. People often refuse vaccination in Bishkek and its newly build residential areas.»
In 2017, at least 47.3 percent of the total number of refusals occurred in Bishkek, 15.3 percent — in Chui and 12.5 percent — in Jalal-Abad regions. Refusals range from 1.5 to 7 percent in other regions.
