She noted that the country records up to 20,000 refusals of vaccinations annually.
“Parents have changed their motivations. Previously, the main reason for refusal was religious beliefs, but thanks to comprehensive measures, including cooperation with the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan (DUMK), the share of refusals for religious reasons has decreased from 78% to 43%,” added Ishenapysova.
The Ministry of Health continues to interact with representatives of the religious community.
“Believing citizens are asking us to issue separate fatwas (religious decrees) for each vaccine. We are currently working on this issue together with the muftiate,” she clarified.
At the same time, the share of parents doubting the safety of vaccines has increased from 20% to 40%. Ishenapysova links this rise to misinformation and the negative impact of social media.
