Prof. Nilgün Tekkeşin: "Vaccine opposition threatens public health!"
Emphasizing the dangers of anti-vaccine sentiment toward children on public health, Prof. Nilgün Tekkeşin warned that if people stop getting vaccinated, there is a risk of infectious diseases rapidly spreading again.
Highlighting that vaccine opposition directly undermines the success and effectiveness of immunization programs, Prof. Tekkeşin stated that “It is well known that vaccine opposition reduces demand for vaccines. This leads to a decrease in vaccination coverage, makes it harder to control outbreaks, and facilitates the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.”
Prof. Nilgün Tekkeşin from the Department of Medical Biochemistry (English) at Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine pointed out the dangers of vaccine opposition toward children and its impact on public health.
Individuals have the right to live free from vaccine-preventable diseases
Stating that vaccines are the safest and most effective way to prevent infectious diseases, Prof. Tekkeşin said that “Individuals and society as a whole have the right to live free from vaccine-preventable diseases.” Tekkeşin stated that “Despite the success of vaccines worldwide, she noted that many political parties and religious groups have joined the anti-vaccine movement, questioning the scientific reliability of vaccines. “Anti-vaccine narratives often spread online and offline through social media. The internet generates stories based on conspiracy theories. Information about vaccines on social media may not be based on scientific evidence. Vaccine and health information should always be obtained from reliable sources such as the Ministry of Health Vaccine Portal (https://asi.saglik.gov.tr/asi/) or the World Health Organization (WHO).”
Getting vaccinated is safer than not getting vaccinated!
Explaining that all available evidence supports the fact that getting vaccinated is safer than not getting vaccinated, Prof. Tekkeşin stated that “Vaccines help protect you and your child from many serious and potentially fatal diseases, safeguard others in your family and community, prevent the spread of diseases to those who cannot be vaccinated such as newborns or those too ill to receive vaccines and, if enough people are vaccinated, reduce or even eliminate certain diseases.”
Vaccines do not cause autism!
Prof. Tekkeşin emphasized that vaccines do not weaken the immune system and stated that “Administering multiple vaccines to children and adults at the same time is safe and reduces the number of required injections. Vaccines do not contain mercury (thimerosal), do not include any harmful ingredients, only contain necessary components to make them safer and more effective, and do not cause autism. Studies have found no evidence linking the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine to autism.”
Vaccine opposition is one of the biggest threats to global health!
Prof. Tekkeşin warned that if people stop getting vaccinated, infectious diseases could rapidly spread again. Tekkeşin explained that “The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed vaccine opposition as one of the greatest threats to global health. Although the MMR vaccine is the best protection against measles and mumps, these diseases are reemerging worldwide. This is a serious concern because measles can lead to life-threatening complications such as meningitis, while mumps can cause hearing loss. If 95% of children receive the MMR vaccine, measles transmission can be completely stopped. However, if less than 90% of people are vaccinated, measles, mumps, and rubella can rapidly spread again.”
How is the anti-vaccine movement gaining strength worldwide?
Despite vaccines being one of the most successful public health interventions of all time, some parents still express concerns about vaccine safety. Prof. Tekkeşin elaborated the following: “Providing parents with reliable, evidence-based information about vaccines is a crucial part of risk communication. Vaccine opposition significantly contributes to declining vaccination rates, making it more difficult to control infectious diseases and prevent pandemics. Groups opposing vaccine mandates pose a serious threat by causing national declines in childhood vaccination rates and the resurgence of preventable deadly diseases. Anti-vaccine rhetoric has become a central theme of these groups, gaining strength in parallel with opposition to pandemic restrictions and misinformation about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.”
Childhood vaccination rates continue to decline
Prof. Tekkeşin noted that the "Medical Freedom" movement, which argues that individuals should have the right to make their own health decisions, is gaining momentum, and childhood vaccination rates are continuing to decline. Tekkeşin stated that “In the U.S., the percentage of kindergarten students whose parents refused to vaccinate them reached a new peak of 3% in the 2022-2023 school year. This situation is seriously concerning for public health experts. Increasing vaccine opposition has led to measles outbreaks in communities with low vaccination rates over the past year. The percentage of Americans who believe vaccines are safe has dropped by six points since 2021, falling to 71%. According to a survey published by the University of Pennsylvania in November, there has also been a rise in the number of people who believe scientifically debunked claims that vaccines cause autism and contain toxins.”
What are the reasons behind vaccine opposition?
Describing unfounded claims as "the deliberate spread of health misinformation," Prof. Tekkeşin listed the most significant factors contributing to vaccine opposition: health and socioeconomic inequalities and injustices, lack of effective public health messaging, unethical research involving ethnic minority groups and structural racism, social disadvantages, such as lower education levels and limited access to high-quality, accurate information, The increasing spread of misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories, and rumors through online platforms, barriers to access, including the time, location, and cost of vaccine delivery
Vaccine opposition negatively impacts the success of immunization programs
Reiterating that vaccine opposition directly undermines the success and effectiveness of immunization programs, Prof. Tekkeşin concluded her remarks as follows: “It is well known that vaccine opposition reduces demand for vaccines. This leads to a decrease in vaccination coverage, makes it harder to control outbreaks, and facilitates the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccine opposition poses a danger not only to individuals and those they are responsible for but also to society as a whole. If such rhetoric were applied to diseases like polio or measles, we can only imagine where the world would be today. For example, in Nigeria, polio cases increased fivefold between 2002 and 2006 due to vaccine opposition.”
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)