Will anti-vaxxers be punished in Kazakhstan?

According to Ms. Manar Smagul, chair of the National Center for Public Health, the country’s authorities can bring to account those anti-vaxxers who spread data that contradicts modern science.

What happened? During a media briefing, a reporter asked the official whether the government would make anti-vaxxers liable for their public actions.

«I’ve never heard about any cases of legal prosecution of anti-vaxxers. However, we have a law on online publications that implies that anyone who spreads misinformation contradicting official scientific data might be brought to account,» Smagul said.

She also noted that the National Center’s goal is to get the rate of measles vaccinations to 98%, although the recommended level is 95%.

«Our task is to reduce the number of cases when people refuse to get a vaccine. In order to do so, we are trying to explain why the vaccination is helpful and necessary for everyone,» she underlined.

She also elaborated on the issue of legal responsibility as the anti-vaxxers violate their children’s rights to life and health and will bear responsibility toward their kids.

The context. In late October 2023, Kazakhstan reported a sharp spike in measles cases among unvaccinated children.

The epidemiologic situation is so bad that even mullahs in mosques started to talk about the threat associated with the disease.