Spotlight: Anti-vaccine parents increase in Turkey due to health risk claims

ANKARA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- There is an increasing trend in Turkish society for rejecting vaccine for their children due to claims over their risks, according to findings of local health professionals.

Although the Turkish health authorities and most of the scientific community stress the need for vaccination, some parents are wary referring scientific studies that indicate the side effects of vaccines.

The number of Turkish families that refuse to have their children vaccinated has reached to 12,000 in 2016, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ceyhan, the head of the Infectious Diseases Association told Xinhua.

Figures for the families who refused vaccinations for their children was 183 in 2011, 913 in 2013, 5,091 in 2015, Ceyhan said in a written statement on Dec. 21.

He noted that as a result of declining compulsory vaccine there is an increase in some diseases in Turkey, such as pertussis (whooping cough), in the last three years.

"We are observing cases of pneumococcal meningitis that died and crippled because they are not vaccinated in our clinic," he stated.

The doctor stressed that they observe a considerable number of cases of influenza-related deaths from not receiving the influenza shot.

With the childhood vaccination program implemented in Turkey every year about 14,000 people were survived, he added.

For the increasing number of rejections, he accused publications with false information about vaccine.

"Some people are providing the public with false information, such as that vaccines include mercury. Vaccines do not include mercury since they are currently administered in our country by single-doses," Ceyhan stated.

Some publications suggest heavy metals and additives in grains cause risks such as autism, obstetric birth, and infertility.

A debate among professionals in Turkey over possible side effects of vaccination has brought to the issue to spotlight. Some publications suggest heavy metals and additives in grains cause risks such as autism, obstetric birth, and infertility.

Famous Turkish cardiologist Canan Karatas recently stated that vaccines include more aluminum rather than mercury for being cheaper, reminding that this substance might lead to Alzheimer.

On the other hand, Nilay Etiler, member of the Central Council of the Turkish National Union, earlier pointed at more than 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, and stressed necessity for vaccination program in the country due to contagious disease.

Turkey's Ministry for Health made a statement on Tuesday and underlined reliability of vaccines in the country.

"According to scientific studies, vaccines are highly reliable biological products. Production and distribution phases are very tightly controlled. Vaccines used in our country are vaccines tested in international reference laboratories," said the ministry.

The vaccine for children and babies against diseases has been a debated issue in Turkey for the last few years. The government requires that a baby be given a total of 16 different types of vaccination in the first 24 months. Parents have to sign an official document holding them responsible, if they don't want vaccination for their children.

The Ministry of Family and Social Policy was suing families who did not want to get vaccinated and if they lost the case, doctors, accompanied by police, was appearing at their door to vaccinate the child.

In retaliation, some families had filed lawsuits against the Health Ministry for mandatory vaccination with the argument that vaccination of a child without parental approval and without medical emergency violates patient's rights. There were different verdicts by different courts, one supporting the parents and the other supporting the state imposition.

In 2015, the highest legal authority of Turkey, the Constitutional Court, ruled that mandatory vaccination for children without parents' consent contradicted the law on basic rights and freedom. The court asked for an amendment in the law concerning mandatory vaccination.

One can monitor a vibrant debate platform in Turkey on Facebook called "I have no obligation to vaccinate." Ayla. T, said she is mother of three and faced serious health problems after vaccination of her first son and decided to give up for her other children. "I realized that his resistance strengthened, he is no longer ill, his (immune) learned to fight," she said.

Other than claimed side effects of vaccination, some parents in the platform also point at the alleged use of "pork blood" in some of vaccines. The majority of population in Turkey are Muslims, who are prohibited from consuming pork products. Enditem