Spain got last year the approval of measles-free country, and in general its primovaccination coverage (vaccines the baby receives in its first year of life) they stand above 97%, figures that the Advisory Committee of Vaccines of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics describes as "excellent", since they have also experienced growth in recent years.
However, the rejection that some people show towards vaccines is always a matter of concern, so the data published by the Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona has drawn attention, showing that 3.5% of children in this City are not vaccinated, 3,000 of them for ideological reasons.
3,000 unvaccinated children, are many children
The Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona has published the results of a survey conducted among 4,000 randomly elected citizens, conducted between March 2016 and May 2017.
Among other health-related issues, parents have been asked about the vaccination status of children under 15, and have been surprised that 3.5% of children in Barcelona have not received the recommended vaccines in the official calendar.
Of this percentage, 2% claim medical reasons, but 1.5% of the parents have affirmed that "they do not consider them necessary or effective" or that "they are concerned about their safety", so they have voluntarily decided not to vaccinate their sons.
The Vaccine Advisory Committee of the AEP has put the focus on this percentage, not negligible, of children who do not have their vaccines for ideological reasons and that in number they represent approximately 3,000.
In addition, he has alerted danger this may pose if these minors are grouped in communities or communities, since there is a risk of disease outbreaks.
As for the medical reasons that have led 2% percent of children in Barcelona not to get vaccinated, the survey does not specify what they are, so from the CAV-AEP it is doubted that they are really justified causes in all cases:
"It would also be interesting to know what real reasons are behind the" medical reasons "for not vaccinating another 2% of children, since possibly among them are penseques and situations incorrectly qualified as contraindications or directly recommendations of vaccination professionals "- stated in a statement published on the matter.
Group immunity and the importance of awareness
People live in society so it is very important to become aware of the risk of not voluntarily vaccinating our children.
This risk is faced by both the unvaccinated children themselves (now and in their future) and the rest of the people around them, and who for various reasons are more vulnerable and require everyone's protection: immunosuppressed or sick children who cannot be vaccinated, the elderly, babies who have not yet received all their vaccinations, pregnant women ...
Gemma Tarafa, commissioner of Salut and Functional Diversity of the Barcelona City Council has stated that "If children who do not get vaccinated do not have problems, it is because there is a very high percentage of children who do", and stressed the importance of "joint responsibility" and raising public awareness about the safety of vaccines.
And it is precisely the group immunity which helps people who for real medical reasons cannot get vaccinated, not to get diseases that could be avoided with a simple prick. That is why it is so important to be jointly responsible, and read verified, scientific and truthful information about vaccines. Because if there are still doubts, Vaccines save lives!
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