Signing of the Declaration for promotion of vaccination
On initiative of the Doctors Chamber, esteemed representatives of scientific, educational and professional organizations have signed the Declaration for promotion of the vaccination. The Doctors Chamber considers this to be of great importance since the professional authorities send a clear and united message to the citizens regarding the importance of the vaccination as a scientific - proven and most efficient method for prevention of spreading infectious diseases.
“It is devastating that the confidence of the citizens in the healthcare system has been distorted to a degree that coverage of all vaccines from the immunization calendar has fallen below 90% although in order to achieve the collective immunity of a population needs to be above 95%. As a consequence of this nowadays we face the epidemics of Pertussis, and it also becomes more certain that we shall also face other epidemics of Morbilli. It is striking that in the 21st century we must still point out to the necessity and the importance of the immunization of the general population regarding the infectious diseases that have already been eliminated in the past, leaving only sporadic cases. My hopes are that by signing of this document and representing the goals stated in the content of this Declaration, we shall make one positive step forward in returning the confidence of the citizens in the medical achievements and the scientific facts”, stated Prof. Dr. Kalina Grivcheva Stardelova, President of the Doctors Chamber.
She further stated that the continuous decrease of the coverage of the vaccination of children would lead to significant consequences in the children’s health and therefore it is necessary to aim to a dedicated public support regarding the vaccination issue, as well as to continuously promote the education on the benefits of the immunization to the public health through providing information based on scientific facts.
The Declaration supporting the vaccination states that “the immunization and the vaccines are one of the major achievements in the history of mankind and that no other medical intervention has not saved a greater number of human lives”. It also emphasizes that distribution of non-confirmed information regarding the vaccination spreads an unjustified fear with the parents, which has led to an alarming decrease of the number of vaccinated children.
“Unfortunately, we witness publishing of inaccurate information in every part of the society, but the disinformation concerning the heath system can be life threatening. Therefore, it is an imperative that we all aim to raise the awareness of the importance of health education, considering that a great number of diseases have been eliminated in the past as a precisely as a result of vaccination. By signing this Declaration, we unite in a wider front line for support of vaccination, maintain the permanence of the activities and emphasize on the importance of the vaccination. Our common goal is protection and promotion of the public health and only united with the healthcare professionals we can achieve this objective” – stated the Minister of Health, Dr. Ilir Demiri.
The Declaration has been signed by the presidents of the Macedonian Dental Chamber and the Pharmaceutical Chamber of Macedonia, Dr. Marijan Denkovski and Bachelor of pharmacy, Vesna Stavrova, the deans of the three faculties of medicine in Skopje, Shtip and Tetovo, Prof. Dr. Svetozar Antovikj, Prof. Dr. Milka Zdravkovska and Prof. Dr. Nevzat Elezi, as well as the Head of the Public Health Institute, Prof. dr. Shaban Memeti.
