During the discussion, she clarified that according to the vaccination schedule, newborns receive their first vaccination in the maternity hospital within the first 24 hours of life, and then continue vaccinations until they reach 1 year old. “In maternity hospitals, the vaccination rate exceeds 90%. Every year, 145,000 children are vaccinated, but many parents refuse vaccinations at 2.5 and 5 months,” she added.
Earlier, as a result of joint work with the Cabinet of Ministers, DUMK, and local authorities, a resolution was adopted and a fatwa was issued confirming the benefits of vaccination. If previously the percentage of refusals for religious reasons reached 78%, it has now decreased to 43%. Nevertheless, among young parents, the level of distrust in vaccination has increased from 20% to 40% due to the spread of false information on social media, Ishenapysova noted.
In 2024, 19,000 people refused vaccinations; however, in 2025, this number decreased to 15,000 thanks to targeted work with imams, she reported.
During a survey, young parents expressed the opinion that only one fatwa on the benefits of vaccination had been issued and requested a fatwa for each of the 13 vaccines. This work is being carried out in collaboration with DUMK and the National Committee for Religion, the director emphasized.
According to her, vaccines are delivered in sufficient quantities and on time.
- Note: A fatwa is a theological conclusion by a mufti or Islamic scholar on a specific topic, based on the Quran, Sunnah, and Sharia.
