Measles wouldn’t have expanded if the immunization coverage had been of an appropriate level. During the past ten years, the vaccination level decreased from 95% to 87% and even less in some of the districts, Prime Minister Pavel Filip stated in the meeting of the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission that was called in connection with the worsening of the epidemiological situation because of measles, IPN reports, with reference to the Government’s press service.
The Premier noted that the irresponsibility of those who plead for the non-vaccination of children, either representatives of religious communities, parents or media sources, is one of the causes of such a state. The authorities also bear a part of the blame.
“I speak about the irresponsibility of the local authorities. I refer to the case witnessed at the camp in Morenii Noi village. What did the authorities do to prevent this camp from working as this worked for many years with rather serious violations?” asked Pavel Filip.
According to him, the education institutions that admitted unvaccinated children are also to blame. “There is a law in the Republic of Moldova saying that the children who weren’t immunized are not allowed into groups,” stated the Prime Minister.
The meeting decided that the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research during the new school year will monitor the non-admission of unvaccinated children to schools and kindergartens. This, in concert with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, will also review the legal framework on the compulsoriness of vaccination and the accountability of parents in the case of non-vaccination of children.
In the immediate period, more measures will be taken to inform the population about the risk of infection with measles and other diseases that can be prevented by vaccination and about the importance of immunization. The price of a measles vaccine is 45 lei (covered by the state), while the treatment of a case of measles costs 2,000 to 7,000 lei, depending on its gravity.
