Ministry implements stricter monitoring of vaccine refusal
ANKARA
The Health Ministry has requested doctors to report the information of vaccine refusers with wet signature documentation instead of electronic means for closer monitoring purposes.
Ministry sources indicated that the requirement to obtain wet-signed forms from patients refusing vaccination was introduced to better collect the number and information of the refusers.
The number of people refused to vaccinate their children was at around 100 in the early 2010s, while this figure is estimated to exceed 40,000 by 2024, according to the official figures. Some doctors have suggested this number could reach 100,000, particularly influenced by global scrutiny of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some healthcare professionals expressed concerns that the new practice may complicate vaccine tracking and refusals.
A large number of doctors earlier noted that the most concerning consequence of vaccine hesitancy is the resurgence of measles among children.
The World Health Organization's European regional office reported that between January and October 2023, more than 30,000 measles cases were reported in 40 out of 53 member states, representing an increase of over 30-fold compared to the 941 cases reported throughout 2022.
Discussing various reasons behind the rise in measles cases, Professor Dr. Ergin Çiftçi earlier explained, "The primary reason for the increase in case numbers is vaccine hesitancy, vaccine refusal and anti-vaccination sentiments that have been on the rise recently."
Çiftçi also highlighted those conflicts, migrations and the COVID-19 pandemic have disrupted vaccination efforts, leading to a segment of children not being vaccinated.
"As long as there is a segment not vaccinating their children due to refusal, we will continue to see measles disease persist. An unvaccinated child will eventually contract measles. The child's growth does not mean they are free from measles. Measles can be deadly at any age."
