Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Dr. Fazıl Küçük Medicine Faculty academic staff member and pediatrics expert Dr. Umut Altunç released a 24 April-1 May World Immunization Week statement which reads as follows:
Vaccines are made of substances that resemble disease causing microorganism or weakened microbes that provide active acquired immunity to particular diseases. The only known protection method for diseases such as Influenza, Hepatitis B, Measles, Rubella, Pertussis, Tetanus, Chickenpox, Hepatitis A and Meningitis is vaccination. As a result of vaccination one of the most commonly seen types of cancer in women; cervical cancer is now classified as a preventable disease. Vaccination programs prevent the death of approximately 2-3 billion children each year. Diseases such as smallpox are eradicated thanks to vaccination programs.
Every year 19.5 million babies cannot be vaccinated because of social, cultural or economic reasons. In many developing regions, vaccines cannot be effectively provided to children and in some developed countries anti-vaccination campaigns and biases prevent children being vaccinated at the correct times and intervals.
To this day, no hypothesis of the anti-vaccination discourse which appeared for commercial reasons has been scientifically proven. It was claimed by anti- Mumps Measles & Rubella (MMR) vaccination campaigns that its vaccine causes autism. Studies carried out show no difference in the number of autism cases between children who received and didn’t receive MMR vaccination.
It is not legal or ethical for people to turn to vaccination alternatives such as ‘Homeopathy’ or other experimental methods. The side-effects of the influenza vaccine is another point of dispute. The possible side-effects of this vaccine are a lot less serious than the health problems an individual might face if they become sick. According to 2017’s data, globally over 650 thousand people have died of influenza related reasons. The World Health Organization has recommended that next year influenza vaccinations are given to a large part of the public especially children over 6 months old and those who are pregnant.
Adults and individuals who are going to regions with epidemics need to renew their vaccinations at certain intervals. In our country it is recommended that Hepatitis B, Diphtheria-Pertussis- Tetanus and Chickenpox (if it hasn’t been contracted) vaccines are received at certain intervals. The HPV vaccine for cervical cancer can be a lifesaving precaution for young women who don’t carry the disease.
