Many parents are interested in question – if it is possible to refuse from planned vaccinations. Refusal from vaccination for children- is a right of parents or guardians because only they take a responsibility for child’s life and health until child reaches 18 years old. But if you have decided to refuse from vaccinations, from legal and medical point of view the refusal must be rational. Besides, it must be filled in proper form for avoiding of any problems with polyclinics, kindergartens and schools.

Is it possible to refuse from vaccinations?

According to the article 156 of the Code «On health of citizens and RK healthcare system» legal entities on RK territory must receive prophylactic vaccinations from infectious and parasitic diseases within free medical assistance.   

Before the introduction of a preventive vaccination, a medical worker examines the vaccinated person. A medical worker provides him or his legal representative with complete and objective information about preventive vaccination, possible side effects, the consequences of abandoning them, possible post-vaccination complications.

The condition for carrying out a prophylactic vaccination is the availability of consent or refusal issued in accordance with the form.

In order to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases children are admitted for children organized groups after receiving prophylactic vaccinations. On each occasion of registration of infectious diseases in organized groups, unvaccinated persons i.e. not protected from infection persons are excluded from attending these institutions until disease termination, as they are not protected from infection.

What is the consequences of vaccination refusal? Such a decision can lead to following probable troubles:

• high risk that you baby will be sick and can infect other family member. Consequences can be sad as, for example, after poliolyemitis a child can remain disabled;

A high risk of tetanus and rabies, when getting injuries with skin and mucosal disorders, and animal bites. Any child can receive an injury or an animal bite, in which there is a high risk of contracting these infections. From tetanus they can be protected only by vaccination against tetanus and timely urgent introduction of serums;

• a ban for entrance to countries which demands particular prophylactic vaccinations according to international medical social regulations or international contracts;
• refusal from employment for the works, which lead to a high risk of infectious diseases.

May a refusal from vaccinations be a reason of refusalof admission to kindergarten or school?

So, according to the law, parents are entitled to decide if a child willbe vaccinated or not.Child who has not received a preventive vaccination has the right to attend a kindergartenor a school. Meanwhile, practically while admitting of a child to kindergartenor school, parents of unvaccinated children face to some obstacles.  

At present time there are no legal acts in RK which restrict child’srights in attending of kindergarten or school if they are unvaccinated. Absenceof vaccination is not a basis for refusal in children’s admission to childrenorganized groups.

However, in each case of infectious diseases registration in organizedgroups, unvaccinated children should be suspended from the attendance of childrenorganizations until disease termination, as they are not protected frominfection and can get infected and get sick, and of course, subsequently become a source of infection.

But it should be noted, that when refusing from  prophylactic vaccination, parents can deprivechild of the right to protect themselves from infection and its consequences.As a practice shows, while disease of an unvaccinated person, the infection issevere, sometimes fatal case. In this situation, a child has no immunity for severeinfections, thus is at serious risk of infection and complications development of these diseases.