The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the global discussion on the legitimacy of preventive vaccinations. On the one hand, scientists and doctors emphasize their safety and role in eliminating many dangerous diseases. On the other hand, representatives of the anti-vaccination movements present a narrative based on fear and conspiracy theories.
A uniform model for the EU
As part of his project, Sebastian Czechowicz, through the analysis of models applying in various countries, is looking for the most effective legal solutions pertaining to vaccinations, which ensure that high vaccination rates are maintained in European countries. The effectiveness of individual regulations is determined by the researcher from Lodz based on the childhood vaccination coverage statistics and reports from individual countries. The model created by the researcher could become a model for all the EU countries that are facing serious challenges related to an increase in the percentage of unvaccinated children.
To encourage or to punish?
The choice of countries the regulations of which have become the subject of his analysis is not accidental. Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom represent very different legal models related to preventive vaccinations. In Poland, they are secured by repressive sanctions – parents or legal caretakers who do not vaccinate their children are subject to punishment. In Romania, the responsibility for vaccinations lies with educational institutions, i.e. crèches and kindergartens, which cannot accept unvaccinated children. If they do not comply, they may be subject to heavy financial penalties. The British model is the mildest one. It focuses on the broadly understood communication of doctors with parents.
Is it possible to argue that the stricter the law, the more effective the enforcement of vaccinations? Not necessarily. Sebastian Czechowicz has based his research on statistical data that shows ineffectiveness of repressive models. In Poland and Romania, the percentage of unvaccinated children is increasing year by year. As the researcher notes, the legislator's failure to take any legislative steps in Poland has resulted in more than 50,000 cases of mandatory vaccination evasion in 2020. For comparison – in 2010 there were only 3.500 such cases.
– The analyses carried out for several years have led me to a belief that the current national regulations are ineffective, and the diversified approach to preventive vaccinations of children in Europe is not conducive to a comprehensive solution to the problem – the researcher notes.
Dangerous diseases are making a comeback
The upward trend in the number of cases of non-vaccinated children pertains not only to Poland, but to the whole Europe. It has already been noticed by the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. They indicate that this brings about the risk of the return of some infectious diseases. Especially in the era of widespread globalisation, biological pathogens that do not know national borders can move to new areas more easily.
– The problem of maintaining high vaccination rates among the European society is an immanent component of maintaining the public health of Europeans at the appropriate level – emphasizes Sebastian Czechowicz.
Fear and manipulation
The growing activity of anti-vaccinationists, who, based on many people's fear of vaccinations, propagate often unverified information of questionable scientific quality, may have deplorable effects for human life and health.
Anti-vaccination movements function mostly on the Internet. They gain popularity by questioning the effectiveness and safety of preventive vaccinations, e.g. against smallpox, measles or tuberculosis. They consider the obligation of preventive vaccinations as a violation of human rights.
– In Poland, for example, this led in 2018 to the submitting to the Sejm a draft act to eliminate mandatory preventive vaccinations because allegedly their performance "violated the right to freedom of parents, as well as the dignity of the human person”. This was aimed at the current model that ensure a wide catalogue of mandatory vaccinations for children. The project did not gain approval of the legislative authority but it shows the scale of the phenomenon. Over 100,000 signatures of citizens under this project proves the effectiveness of anti-vaccination movements – comments the researcher from Lodz.
UL IDUB Grants
The Excellence Initiative – Research University – grant competitions as part of which the University of Lodz funds research ideas of its scientists and doctoral students. By supporting them in conducting high quality research, the University implements a strategy of striving for research excellence in all fields and disciplines. The competitions also serve the purpose of internationalisation – developing and strengthening the University's cooperation with international researchers. As part of grants addressed to scientists from outside the University, experienced and young researchers join the team of the University of Lodz. This favours the fusion of experiences and increasing the University's scientific potential, supports networking and employee mobility.
The grants are financed as part of the subsidy increased by 2% for universities that joined the IDUB competition in 2019. University of Lodz will receive additional funding for research until 2026. Internal grant competitions have been implemented since 2020.
Currently, in the 2nd edition, over PLN 3 million was used to finance young, experienced researchers and doctoral students in such grant competitions as: UL IDUB "Grants for young and experienced researchers" and "Doctoral research grants".
Source: mgr Sebastian Czechowicz, University of Lodz Doctoral School of Social Sciences;
Edit: Mateusz Grabowski from the Service Centre for Students and PhD Candidates