The number of refusals is expected to reach 46,000 by the end of 2019, the daily said, citing data from the National Institute of Public Health.
According to statistics, six in every 1,000 Poles aged up to 19 evade vaccinations. At the end of 2018, the figure was 5.5, rising from less than 1 before 2013.
The trend is the result of an anti-vaccine drive in the country. Websites are springing up to offer advice on how to refuse vaccination and avoid punishment, the daily reported.
In 2017, legislation was drafted in response to fears by some parents over possible undesired symptoms after vaccination. The proposed law provided for the establishment of a special fund from which compensation would be paid to parents of children who had to be hospitalised for at least 14 days after vaccination.
But both opponents of vaccination and ministry officials were dissatisfied with the draft legislation, according to the newspaper. The health minister at the time argued that such regulations could lead to abuse, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reported.
However, according to the paper, a modified proposal could see the light of day next year. The document is expected to set new criteria for what can be considered adverse reactions and define the basis for compensation payments.
(aba/gs)
Source: Dziennik Gazeta Prawna