Campaign targeting vaccine skeptics launched in Poland

According to the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, over 12,000 kids in Poland did not undergo vaccinations in 2014, marking a 40-percent drop in inoculations compared to the previous year.

Such decisions are taken “on the basis of unverified information, such as anonymous posts on the internet, publications grounded on myth, emotions and the tendency to perpetuate unreliable opinions,” state the masterminds behind the action, the Confederation of Polish Employers and the Infarma Employers’ Union of Innovative Pharmaceutical Companies.

In order to debunk the commonly held beliefs among the skeptics and to address the concerns among the fence-sitting parents, the organisers behind the initiative tapped into the expertise of a number of healthcare institutions, including the Polish Society of Hygiene, the Polish Society of Health Education and the Children’s Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw.

The growing apprehension towards vaccines in Poland is a cause for concern among healthcare professionals. “Giving up shots is tantamount to a return of diseases which decimated humanity even in the first half of the 20th century,” warns the national consultant in epidemiology at the National Institute of Public Health, Doctor Iwona Paradowska-Stankiewicz. “Infectious diseases may not only be fatal but may also lead to serious health complications.”

Experts argue that inoculations are a safety precaution not only for children receiving the shots but also eradicate the risk of infecting others.

UNICEF figures show that inoculations against diseases such as measles, diphtheria or polio save the lives of some 2-3 million kids across the globe each year. (aba/rk)

Source: PAP