More than 500 cases of measles were reported in the country in January 2019 and these figures are higher than last year’s figures for the same period. This year, 112 people – 27% – had medical exclusion for vaccination among those who contracted measles. Also among those who fell ill were those who refused vaccination last year – 45 people, i.e. 11%. From the beginning of 2019 to February 1, 1,114 cases of measles have been registered in Kazakhstan, including 800 among children under 14. Thus, in just one month, the plan for the year ahead has been “exceeded by half” – as there were 576 cases of measles registered in the country for the whole of 2018. Is that a lot or a little? It depends on what to compare it to. This year, as the Kazakh Ministry of Health reported on 18 January, there were more than 70,000 cases of measles in India, more than 38,000 in Ukraine, more than 29,000 in China, 9,110 in Malaysia and 546 in Thailand, Serbia 5,057, Pakistan 4,447, Russia 4,185, Mexico 3,690, Turkey 3,307, France 2,787, Afghanistan 2,783, Italy 2,592, Greece 2,261, Georgia 2,019, Japan 1,529, Kyrgyzstan 1,238, UK 910 cases. At the same time 68 deaths have been registered. In Kazakhstan as a whole 76% of the infected children are unvaccinated. Of the 26 confirmed measles cases in North Kazakhstan Oblast, all 26 were unvaccinated. It is being considered to move the date of the first vaccination from one year to nine months in order to protect infants from infection. But 27% of children have not been vaccinated due to medical exclusion – one in four, isn’t that a lot? And 11% were not vaccinated due to parental refusal. It is collective immunity that is important in protecting against measles. It is believed that up to 90% of the entire child population needs to be vaccinated to build a strong immune layer. “From 1 April 2019, additional immunisation will start in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Children who have reached the age of 9 months, persons under 30 with unknown vaccination status, those previously unvaccinated and not having had measles, those vaccinated 5 or more years ago with one measles vaccination in foci of infection, and health workers who are also subject to vaccination on epidemiological indications, as this population group has high risk of infection due to frequent contacts with potential measles patients,” said Zhandarbek Bekshin. The need for additional immunisations is connected with the increase in the incidence of measles, which is registered primarily among the 15-19 age group, among whom the risk of spreading and contracting measles is extremely high. This is primarily due to the increasing number of parents who refuse to vaccinate their children.

Remember!!! Both routine and supplementary immunizations are the only protection against measles, since measles is an acute infectious disease that is fraught with serious complications in the form of blindness, otitis media, pneumonia, encephalitis, mental retardation and mental disorders. On all questions concerning carrying out of additional immunization against measles please call the hotline: 55-69-85 (Health Department of Astana) 96-37-77 (Unified Medical Call Center) 31-71-69 (Department of Consumer Rights Protection of Astana) and 72-81-52 (Family Health Center “Shypager”).

Dear Nur-Sultan citizens, Please do not refuse preventive vaccinations! Vaccinations will protect you and your children from diseases and guarantee a healthy future.