Why Doesn’t the State Cover Vaccinations for Some Diseases?

The question of why the state, which protects the health of children and the public, does not provide these important vaccines is particularly problematic. parents’ curiosity. Moreover, the fact that many of these vaccines are not single-dose and are expensive draws attention to the Ministry of Health.

This is what doctors recommend to do: Reasons why specific vaccines are not covered, It is certainly not more important than the serious discomfort that may arise, but the question “Why?” One doesn’t think like that.

Which vaccines does the state cover?

Vaccines provided free of charge by the state include chickenpox, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis A and B, HIB (haemophilus influenzae type b), measles, mumps, rubella vaccinePCV (pneumonia) and poliomyelitis There are vaccines. As you can see in the calendar, these vaccines have different dose numbers.

In addition to children who are included in the vaccination schedule as soon as they are born, some of these vaccines are It is also administered to adults if they do not have immunity. The Ministry of Health emphasizes that vaccination is important for preventable diseases. So why is there a distinction between paid and free vaccines for vaccines that resist the spread of diseases?

Which vaccines are not in the routine vaccination schedule and are administered for a fee?

In the vaccination schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics meningococcal, rotavirus and HPV vaccine is available. However, since the Turkish Ministry of Health does not cover these vaccines, these “special vaccine” It is mentioned as .

Considering that just one dose of the meningococcal vaccine costs more than 1,000 TL and 3 doses need to be administered, it is also important for families to pay for the vaccines. needs to allocate a budget. Unfortunately, families who cannot afford the vaccination fees cannot have these vaccines administered to their children.

Why is meningococcal vaccine necessary?

Meningitis is a disease that develops as a result of various microorganisms invading the brain membranes and has a severe or even severe course. A disease that can result in death. Meningococcus is the most dangerous type among meningitis types. Meningococcus, which is also an infectious disease, continues to spread even if patients recover. functional or tissue impairment may cause.

It is observed especially in children under 5 years of age and its course is quite severe. On the World Health Organization’s list of risky countries, Türkiye is moderate is available. In fact, according to WHO, meningococcal vaccine should be included in the routine vaccination schedule of high and medium risk countries.

Rota virus, which is among the most common causes of acute severe diarrhea in the world, is also within the scope of special vaccines.

Especially in children under 2 years of age intestinal inflammation Rotavirus, which can cause diarrhea, is accompanied by vomiting, fever, and diarrhea. This virus, which can be transmitted through mouth and feces, severe dehydration It can even result in death because it brings with it.

Since there is no drug that directly affects rotavirus, children must be hospitalized in cases of severe fluid loss. intravenous fluid supplementation they take it. Although a vaccine has been developed for protection, this is not in the routine vaccination schedule.

The HPV vaccine, which is administered to prevent the development of cervical cancer, is not a routine vaccine.

HPV vaccine not administered in the first years after birth For children over 9 years old is being done. wart microbe HPV, also known as HPV, is a type of virus that is frequently transmitted through contact. Although HPV was considered only a sexually transmitted disease, recent research has shown that the virus in contact with mutation It also showed that it can be transmitted.

There are around 200 types of HPV virus. While some of these can only cause warts, some can turn into cancer. Australia and America Although the HPV vaccine is covered by the government in some countries, such as, in our country, this vaccine is not given free of charge to children.

Why doesn’t the state provide these vaccines for free?

There are many reasons why the state does not cover medicines and special vaccines for some diseases, such as SMA treatment. Each the cost of the vaccine and the limited state budget is one of them. That’s why the government prioritizes vaccines that will be most beneficial and prevent the most common diseases. Vaccinations against less common or less risky diseases may not be paid for by the state.

State within its vaccine policy public accessibility is also evaluated. Some special vaccines are not covered considering accessibility. We don’t think they include the meningococcal vaccine in this, but the same policy may apply to the flu vaccine.

While the flu vaccine is given free of charge to those over the age of 65 or those with chronic diseases, those who are not in the risk group Those who want to get a flu vaccine pay a fee. The flu vaccine price announced in September 2023 was 243 TL.

Deciding whether vaccines will be covered by the state is a very long process. Some vaccines wage policy may change over time. We hope that the day is not far away when vaccines, which are so important especially for children, will be covered by the state.

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