Poles Increasingly Avoid Mandatory Vaccinations
The number of parents refusing to vaccinate their children is rising. Last year, there were 87,300 exemptions from mandatory vaccinations. Over the decade, this number has significantly increased.
According to data from the National Institute of Public Health – National Research Institute, the number of exemptions from mandatory vaccinations has nearly doubled in the last five years. Moreover, comparing last year with 2014, this increase is more than eightfold.
"The causes of this phenomenon can be attributed to the low level of public education regarding vaccinations and a low level of health competence, poor doctor-patient communication, the organization of the healthcare system, but also the increasingly intensified activities of anti-vaccination movements. The decreasing vaccination coverage has consequences not only in the medical field but also in the economic and social spheres, leading to many avoidable costs," the Polish Academy of Sciences explained.
