Despite the high level of vaccination coverage in Tajikistan, there have been many debates around the vaccines lately. Some think it’s necessary protection of children against dangerous viruses, others believe the rumours that they weaken child’s organism. Moreover, parents complaint that some health workers don’t pay attention to the child’s health during vaccination.
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Saibi Zoirova, resident of Dushanbe:
— Our local policlinic workers said that all children must be vaccinated. I have three children and after my two elder boys were vaccinated, they cried a lot and had high body temperature for a few days.
I refused to have my youngest daughter vaccinated, but policlinic workers demanded that I sign the refusal to vaccinate form to not accuse them if my child gets sick. So I made up my mind to have my daughter vaccinated.
Mavzuna Loikova, resident of one of regions in Tajikistan:
— I am scared to have my children vaccinated because it can expose my children to a virus. We often read that many teenagers or children get infected with HIV or hepatitis. I mean, parents are healthy, and their children get infected. That’s why I don’t want to have my children vaccinated.
See also: “It’s My Child, I’ll Do Whatever I Want.” Why Uzbekistanis Refuse Vaccination
Mokhtob Bobokhonova, chief of the statistics department of the Republican Immunoprophylaxis Centre of the Ministry of Health of Tajikistan:
— One of the reasons why parents refuse vaccination is that their children are sick and they are scared of health deterioration after vaccination.
The second reason of refusal is that people read the news or watch some immunisation videos on the internet, which say that it’s dangerous to vaccinate children. But when we talk to parents and explain everything to them, they agree to vaccination.
It should be noted that such articles and videos on the internet are promoted by special anti-vaccination groups. There are no such groups in Tajikistan, they are all in other countries and promote refusal of vaccination. In fact, there are no proven facts that vaccines are dangerous for children.
9 years ago it was the epidemic of poliomyelitis in Tajikistan and there was a case when the family refused vaccination. As a result, one of the children in this family became paralysed.
According to Djamoliddin Khomushi, senior specialist of the Islamic Council of the Islamic Centre of Tajikistan, there have never been cases when parents refuse vaccination on religious grounds:
Shakhnoza Sabzalieva, resident of Dushanbe:
— I have three children and vaccination is for their good. Every mother must know that if she makes a vaccine against various diseases, it’s for the good. Some trust various rumours and reject vaccines, thus allegedly protecting their children. But, after all, they make it all even worse and a child is more vulnerable without immunity to certain viruses.
This article was prepared as part of the Giving Voice, Driving Change – from the Borderland to the Steppes Project implemented with the financial support of the Foreign Ministry of Norway. The opinions expressed in the article do not reflect the position of the editorial or donor.