Let's remember what happened during the Soviet Union. Then the preventive work for infectious diseases was carried out systematically and regularly. This was facilitated by the developed vaccination calendar, which the doctors adhered to strictly. And the population was massively vaccinated. This vaccination system and the impossibility of refusing vaccinations made it possible to cope with many dangerous infectious diseases then in our country.
Since then, a lot of water has flowed. Something has changed. Today, by law, all vaccinations are done exclusively on a voluntary basis, that is, only with the consent of the parents of the children. In practice, one has to face the fact that the child may not be accepted into kindergarten or school, justifying their refusal by the absence of a vaccination card.
Important! If you do not want any vaccinations to be given to your child, then no one has the right to force you to get vaccinated.
What does the law say about this?
In accordance with Articles 5 and 11 of the Federal Law numbered 157 (dated September 17, 1998), Russians can:
- Refuse in the most categorical way from vaccination.
- Do not give consent to other medical interventions of this kind.
- Refusal of vaccinations of any kind should be noted, even if only one of the parents (mother or father) of the minor child speaks out against it.
- Expect to receive information in full regarding all the activities that medical workers conduct.
Vaccination is what it is.
This is the most effective prophylactic that modern medicine uses to fight infectious diseases. It was with the help of vaccinations that mankind coped with the plague and smallpox, which carried millions and millions of people to the “better world”. And in the XX century, with the help of vaccination, such terrible diseases as polio and diphtheria were eliminated.
A vaccine, which is a biological preparation, is administered in order to make the human body immune to the causative agent of a specific infectious disease. That is, antibodies are produced that help to successfully cope with a specific disease. The process itself, as a result of which the human body gains active immunity to a particular infection, is called vaccination.
Types of vaccines
There are two varieties of vaccine:
Live vaccine
The composition of this type of vaccine includes live, but very attenuated pathogens. As they use strains of viruses. The creation of a live vaccine has been made possible thanks to genetic engineering. When vaccinated in this way, a person acquires a long (very often lifelong) and persistent (sometimes, just one introduction) immunity. This is due to the fact that after vaccination, a condition is observed that resembles the natural course of the disease (only milder). Live vaccine is used in vaccinations against chickenpox, rubella, polio, measles, mumps, flu, tuberculosis, mumps, and BCG.
The disadvantages of introducing such a vaccine include the following:
- Inactivation. It occurs in the body as a result of the presence of antibodies to a certain disease (for example, if antibodies received from the mother through the placenta still circulate in the baby’s blood).
- Instability. There is a risk that, when propagating in the body, the strain used can return to its original pathogenic form and cause the disease in a form that will lead to serious complications.
- Instability. This refers to transportation and storage. All prescribed safety measures must be strictly adhered to. Otherwise, the probability of the destruction of the vaccine is high, since light and heat are harmful to it.
- The vaccine is very difficult to combine and dose.
Important! Live vaccines are strictly contraindicated for people taking drugs that suppress the immune system, as well as those suffering from immunodeficiency diseases such as HIV or leukemia.
Inactivated vaccine
This type of vaccine does not contain live microorganisms. It consists of specially grown microbial particles using the inactivation method. Therefore, vaccinations performed with its use can not contribute to the disease (even purely theoretically). Sometimes an inactivated vaccine is called inanimate.
The benefits of this vaccine include:
- The effectiveness of its use in no way depends on the presence or absence in the blood of antibodies to a specific pathogen.
- It is approved for use even by people with immunodeficiency.
- Inactivated vaccine can be combined and dosed.
- It rarely leads to complications.
Disadvantages:
- As a result of its use, not so long immunity is produced, as in the case of a live vaccine. Sometimes it is necessary to administer the vaccine several times to achieve the desired result.
- May cause allergies or other manifestations caused by the toxicity of the drug.
- The composition of the inactivated vaccine includes a large number of "ballast" components that do not contribute to strengthening the immune system.
Vaccinations for children - is it good or evil?
No one can answer this question with absolute accuracy. Quite a lot depends on the individual characteristics of each individual child, on the purity of the drugs that are used for vaccination, as well as their quality and compliance with all the necessary rules of the vaccination technique.
Yes, vaccines are not entirely safe, but the risk of getting a serious infectious disease is even worse. We have to choose the lesser of the “two evils”. Only in this way, there is no third. Some parents believe that this “lesser evil” is the refusal of vaccinations, while others believe that only vaccination can protect their children from infection. Two different points of view, completely diametrical.
The indisputable advantage of vaccines is that with their help they achieve either the prevention of the disease, or its mild (and no more) course. The disadvantages include two factors:
- The likelihood of complications that may occur after vaccination.
- The absence of any guarantees that, as a result of the introduction of the vaccine, the child will form the immunity for which everything was started.
If you have come to the firm belief that vaccination is evil, then get ready to defend your position in the future. Failure to get vaccinated at school or kindergarten will create many problems for you and your child. But remember, the law is on your side.
On a note! There are only two cases (they are prescribed in the legislation of the Russian Federation) that justify the actions of school and kindergarten leaders who refused to accept unvaccinated children:
- When in a particular institution there is a threat of an epidemic of an infectious disease.
- In the event that the epidemiological threshold is exceeded in the entire region for a particular disease.
In all other situations, the actions of the administration of school and preschool institutions are considered illegal.
If you decide to refuse vaccination
Before making a final decision on refusing vaccination, do the following:
- Gather as much information as possible about the disease you are about to refuse to get vaccinated with.
- Find out about the possible consequences that may result from the transfer of a particular infectious disease.
- Examine all information about complications that may occur after vaccination.
- Assess all possible risks.
Perhaps, as a result of hard work, you will change your mind and refusing vaccinations will no longer be considered the only right decision. Think a hundred times and weigh the pros and cons. Indeed, on the "scales" the health of your child!
The moral side of failure
Parents, by officially rejecting vaccinations for children, take full responsibility for the health (in terms of the infectious diseases against which vaccinations are provided) for their child. This is very serious. And if something goes wrong, what did you think? In this case, there can even be no complaints against doctors.
On a note! Naturally, if a child has an allergy, fever or other manifestations of an unhealthy condition, then there can be no question of any vaccinations. The doctor, having assessed the situation and accepting all the arguments, he will immediately give medical attention and postpone the vaccination until better times.
How to write a refusal of vaccination
Make it easy. Any parent can write a statement. According to the law, the refusal of vaccinations must be written in your own hand (you can do this at home) in the name of the chief doctor of the children's clinic.
Important! The disclaimer must be written in duplicate. You leave one in the office of the medical institution so that it is endorsed by the head physician. And on the second (which will remain with you), the secretary must put a note on his registration. What does it mean? Your document should contain the incoming number, the date the document was accepted for consideration, the stamp of the organization, and the name of the person who is registering the application. One more tip: after the document is signed, make sure that it is pasted into the child’s medical record.
You have the right to refuse vaccinations either on a temporary basis (in this case, you must indicate the validity period) or permanent (then be sure to indicate that it is unlimited).
On a note! Whatever refusal you write (permanent or temporary), it will remain in effect until you change your mind and withdraw it by writing your consent to the vaccination.
What the statement should look like
The official form of refusal of vaccinations, which is spoken about on the Internet, does not exist in nature. Therefore, write it in simple writing.
Important! Remember: a statement without your signature and the date of its writing will not be considered, as it will be considered anonymous.
If there is any doubt that your application (that is, the so-called vaccination refusal form) can be completely randomly lost in the walls of a medical institution, you can hedge and send it by registered mail with a mandatory notice of delivery. In this case, you will have a postal receipt confirming that you sent the refusal to the head physician of the clinic.
Important! When sending such a valuable letter, do not forget to compile an inventory of what is enclosed in it. And also make sure that the employee of the post office correctly indicated in the receipt the name of the organization and the exact address.
Vaccination refusal pattern
The application is made out as follows:
- In the upper right corner, write the name of the person you are contacting (for example, the head doctor of the polyclinic No. ... Ivanov, Ivan Ivanovich).
- Indicate the surname, name and patronymic of the person who refuses the vaccination, that is, one of the child’s parents (for example, from Petrova Maria Petrovna, living at ...).
- In the center of the sheet write the word "Statement."
- There is no strict form of refusal of vaccinations. Therefore, you simply state your position on this issue: “I, Petrova Maria Petrovna, living at ..., declare a constant (that is, unlimited) refusal of any preventive vaccinations (including against tuberculosis, tetanus, measles, polio, hepatitis B, diphtheria , pertussis, rubella, hemophilic infection and mumps) and any tuberculin tests for my child, Vasily Ivanovich Petrov. The requirement is fully consistent with Articles 5 and 11 of the Federal Law No. 157 (dated September 17, 1998); Articles 32 and 33 of the Legislation of the Russian Federation regarding the protection of the health of citizens; as well as Article 7 (part 3) of the Federal Law No. 77 (dated June 18, 2001). In case of vaccination of my child I will appeal to the judicial authorities with a statement of claim for moral damage and material damage (in case of complications after the introduction of the vaccine). ”
On a note! This pattern of refusal of vaccinations is not the only one. You can change its text by saving the header.
- If the refusal concerns certain vaccinations or only for a certain period, then all this should be reflected in the application.
- Next, put the number, signature and its decoding.
Important! In order for the application to be recognized as valid, it should not contain errors and all necessary details must be indicated.
Possible consequences of failure
If you have not received certain preventive vaccinations, then you may:
- Temporarily refuse admission to health or educational institutions if there is a threat of an epidemic of any disease.
- Prohibit entry into the country, the stay in which requires a certain vaccination. All these activities are carried out in strict accordance with either treaties of the Russian Federation of an international character, or with the health rules that apply between countries.
- Get a waiver from a potential employer if the work is associated with a fairly high risk of contracting infectious diseases.
Difficulties in admission to school
In theory, when enrolling in a school, you can only require a child’s medical card that reflects their health. This is quite logical. To fill out a medical card, it is necessary to undergo examination by certain specialists and pass some tests, the results of which are subsequently recorded on the card.
If the child's parents refused vaccination, then this statement, certified by the head doctor of the clinic and the head of the school, should be included in the medical history. And all - no additional references and documents. That is, in case of refusal of vaccinations at school, no obstacles should be repaired. But in practice, everything is different, because each leader himself has the right to decide who to admit to his institution and who not (in accordance with the Regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers).
Difficulties in admission to kindergarten
The law is law, but in practice, you may simply be denied admission to a kindergarten without a note on the vaccination in the card. Faced with a similar situation, be prepared to protect the rights of your child.
Of course, there are “pleasant” exceptions when refusal of vaccination in the garden does not cause irritation on the part of the administration, but on the contrary, the leader supports you regarding the harm of vaccination. Consider yourself lucky. This is extremely rare.
After childbirth
The procedure for refusing vaccinations in the maternity hospital, in practice, is not much different from other institutions. Only you need to draw it up in advance and attach it to the rest of the documents that will be provided to the doctors of the hospital. The application must be written in duplicate in the name of the head physician of the hospital.
Important! In your refusal, clearly list all vaccinations for newborn children that you are refusing.
One copy of the statement endorsed by the head physician should be pasted into the card of the woman in childbirth, on the cover of which there should be a note about refusal of vaccination with bright paste. Another copy remains with the mother of the child.
Important! Keep your copy of the statement. You may need it in case of filing a complaint or claim if the child is still given any vaccinations in spite of your refusal.
Why do doctors advocate vaccinations
Who should bring objective and complete information to the citizens of our country regarding the prevention of infectious diseases? Of course, this is a local doctor - a pediatrician. But all doctors unanimously claim that vaccinations are a blessing, and they must be done without fail. Such a formulation of the question, of course, suits them completely, since in this case it is not necessary to conduct lengthy conversations with parents, persuading them to get vaccinated. And no one even wants to say a word about another point of view. But it exists, and it is impossible to remain silent.
If you do not agree with the position of the pediatrician
If your doctor or the head of the child care institution insists categorically on vaccination, without giving any worthy arguments, demands to sign some not quite clear documents, and also refuses to accept your refusal of vaccinations, then you have every right to demand oral explanations from him form. If you are denied this, you can make a written complaint to the head physician of the medical institution.
If your complaint remains unanswered, you can contact a higher authority, such as the Education or Health Committee. Or you can go to the district prosecutor’s office, which within one month should give you an answer about the legal assessment of the actions of officials.
Finally
The fact that in our country there is a voluntary refusal of vaccination is, on the one hand, good. On the other hand, not all parents are aware of the seriousness of this step. , - , . : , . Health to you and your children!