Live in Kazakhstan and Want to Take a Vaccine? You Decide

According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Health, the vaccination that will start on February 1 will be voluntary. Children under the age of 18 are not recommended to take a vaccine, the Interfax Kazakhstan news agency reports.

«As Article 77 of the National Health Code says, any vaccination including the anti-COVID-19 vaccine is voluntary. Any citizen who disagrees can reject taking the vaccine with a written note. For children under 18 and elderly above 65, the vaccine is not recommended because there is no reliable data that the vaccine is effective and safe for people of these ages,» the Ministry of Health said.

However, the health system officials insist that the vaccine is safe. They said that any licensed vaccine goes through various clinical tests and if there are no side effects it can be recommended for use. Once the vaccine is entered on the market, its efficacy becomes an object for measuring and new tests.  

Moreover, the anti-COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge and the shots will be provided under the guaranteed free medical support for citizens, the ministry stated.

On February 1 Kazakhstan launches massive vaccination against the coronavirus. The campaign will be implemented in three stages and will cover about six million Kazakhstanis before the end of the year.

The first stage of the vaccination is designed for medical workers, paramedics, those who work in emergency rooms as well as for sanitary-epidemiological service.

The second stage will start on March 1 and should cover school and higher education teachers and other types of medical workers.

The third stage that is planned for April 1 must reach teachers of preschool institutions and orphanages as well as people with chronic diseases and students.