Expert takes us 36 years back: This is how Zeki Alasya and Metin Akpınar called on families to vaccinate

Burak DEMİRBAŞ-12punto.com.tr /EXCLUSIVE

The Turkish Medical Association Family Medicine Branch (TTB-AHEK) reported that approximately 10,000 children registered with family physicians in Istanbul could not be vaccinated monthly.

Speaking to Merve Kılıç from Cumhuriyet, Emrah Kırımlı, Head of the Turkish Medical Association Family Medicine Branch (TTB-AHEK), stated, "We see that nearly 17,000 doses of vaccines are not being administered in Istanbul. 90 percent of these are due to vaccine refusal. This corresponds to 5 percent of the population. Vaccine refusal has increased significantly."

'THERE IS A LANGUAGE THAT FEEDS VACCINE HESITANCY'

Providing detailed statements to 12punto regarding vaccine refusal and anti-vaccination, Kırımlı made the following assessments:

"We administer vaccines primarily for two reasons. First, to prevent disease. Second, no matter what we do, it is not possible to make the entire society immune. We can prevent the disease from circulating. You must limit the population that will circulate it and prevent transmission. The protective efficacy of the vaccine varies between 95-98 percent. Even if we vaccinate everyone, we can actually protect 98 percent of the society.

There are people who cannot be vaccinated, such as those undergoing cancer treatment or those using immunosuppressive drugs; there are risky groups. When we achieve herd immunity, we also protect these types of risky groups. Unfortunately, a language that feeds vaccine hesitancy continues. Citizens are also rightfully worried."

'THERE USED TO BE WARDS FOR THESE DISEASES, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY WILL RETURN'

When asked whether the Ministry of Health has a struggle or action plan regarding vaccine refusal, Kırımlı, who replied that he has not seen one, pointed out that anti-vaccination is also fed by these points, saying, "When we administer these vaccines, they act as if we have a relationship with large pharmaceutical companies, but these are vaccines we have been administering for years. When they are not administered, we have started to see diseases we haven't seen for years. We are seeing whooping cough again; we will see measles, tetanus, and polio again. We will see mumps again. There used to be wards only for these diseases. For those with meningitis, pneumonia, those in intensive care; all of those ended, but unfortunately, it looks like they will return. The vaccine must be defended," he said.

Kırımlı also criticized anti-vaccination finding space in the press, assessing, "Those who use this language should not appear in the press either. They are openly lying; after all, we know that someone who posts a tweet can be kept in prison for days, while a person who threatens public health and openly lies is called freedom of expression. After all, they are called doctors, they use the doctor title, and there are those who are not even doctors. These are not being prevented either."

'THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH NEEDS TO SAY GET VACCINATED'

Kırımlı stated that the public authority should be active in the process and noted the following:

"The goal was to eradicate polio and measles from the whole world. To do this, vaccines are being administered to everyone all over the world. There was vaccine hesitancy before Covid-19 as well. There was also for measles. Even though it was said that all this information was false, it continued with claims like 'measles causes autism,' 'vaccines cause infertility,' 'Covid vaccine causes blood clots,' and that communication remained open. Even now, people go on television and make statements like heart attacks have increased due to Covid vaccines. As long as this voice continues, it is very natural for people to be confused. The main authority, the Government and the Ministry of Health, which is constitutionally obligated to protect our health, needs to come out and say 'get these vaccines,' but they do not."

Dr. Ayşegül Ateş Tarla, Central Council Member of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and Family Medicine Specialist, stated that sensitivity should be shown regarding vaccines and reminded of campaigns to encourage vaccination.

REMINDED OF THE 'COME ON, GET VACCINATED' CAMPAIGN

Tarla noted the following regarding vaccine refusal and anti-vaccination:

"Vaccination is a somewhat sensitive point. Vaccine refusal also makes us uneasy. It is the duty of the public to resolve these vaccine refusals. It is the duty of the Ministry of Health to raise awareness among individuals, to run campaigns like 'come on, get vaccinated,' and to conduct studies on the reliability of the vaccine. The public authority needs to carry out campaigns on these points. When you leave an open space at a point, it fills with misinformation and unscientific information, and first of all, it interferes with the child's life and right to life. As the vaccination rate drops, we experience threats to public health. At this point, vaccines are important, and there is a need for legal regulations regarding this. While producing words for values regarding vaccines, one must always be careful and we must not go outside of science. The TTB will have work on this in the coming days."

The increase in these numbers is worrying for us. When there is not 80-90 percent vaccination, you leave a society facing the risk of an epidemic. That is why vaccination is important.

WE SEE THE REFLECTIONS IN THE FIELD

Reminded that anti-vaccination became widespread and increased during the Covid-19 pandemic process, Tarla continued her words as follows:

"In situations that arose with the pandemic, vaccines are produced faster; the pandemic should be kept separate. The public has a duty. The public's duty is to initiate the necessary procedures regarding those who produce words about the reliability of vaccines and also to develop policies that will increase this reliability.

When the public falls short, we see the reflection of this in the field, in Family Health Centers (ASM), hospitals, and pediatric clinics. When you produce words on these vaccines, you need to be careful and not leave an empty space. It is necessary to inform the public, create campaigns, create campaigns like 'to the vaccine, come on, get vaccinated,' and direct them to the vaccine."

THE CAMPAIGN FROM 36 YEARS AGO

After Tarla's reminder, it was seen that campaigns for vaccination were carried out in past periods and famous names starred in these commercials. In the 1988 campaign "Come on Children, Get Vaccinated," in which Zeki Alasya and Metin Akpınar starred together, it is seen that children were encouraged to get vaccinated and the campaign attracted significant attention.

Here is the video of that campaign:

??12punto EXCLUSIVE

Expert takes us 36 years back

This is how Zeki Alasya and Metin Akpınar called on families to vaccinate

News: @burakkdemirbas https://t.co/4AtI049BXt pic.twitter.com/iau01edBzk

— 12punto (@12puntohaber) August 24, 2024

News Source: Burak Demirbaş