The new certificate of children's stay in kindergartens, created at the suggestion of the Institute of Public Health (IJZ) and the Podgorica Health Center, has been in force since yesterday and has been improved so that the electronic system automatically generates data on whether the child has been vaccinated. However, the new certificates do not mean that an unvaccinated child will not be able to be enrolled in a preschool institution, as this is not prescribed by the umbrella Act on the Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases.
The IJZ announced yesterday that the changes were introduced to improve communication and provide clear advice to parents, to guide them towards decisions that are in the best interest of children and the entire community.
"On the basis of these data, written advice and recommendations are issued to parents and guardians. The purpose of the certificate and the target group to which it is issued remained unchanged, since these changes are not within the competence of the aforementioned institutions", announced the IJZ.
They advised parents who are late with vaccinations to vaccinate their child as soon as possible, and not to take them to collectives (kindergartens, fun and sports-recreational facilities, trips, excursions) until the age-appropriate vaccination is completed.
"An unvaccinated child is exposed to a high risk of contracting infectious diseases such as measles, and thereby transmitting the disease to others in his environment. Regular vaccination of children significantly contributes to health protection, prevents the spread of infectious diseases and ensures well-being both for the individual and for society as a whole. This is the position of all relevant public health institutions in the world," the IJZ press release says.
The health institution previously told the Parents portal that children who have not been vaccinated, especially against diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella and pertussis, should not attend preschool institutions.
"However, the IJZ is not competent to make such decisions...", said the IJZ.
Current regulations do not prevent unvaccinated children from attending kindergarten or school.
The measure stipulating that unvaccinated children cannot be enrolled in kindergarten and school was never included in the amendments to the Act on the Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases, as it was foreseen in the draft back in 2015, due to the opposition of part of the public and the ombudsman.
According to the Act on the Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases, vaccination against ten diseases is mandatory. These are tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, measles, epidemic mumps, rubella, viral hepatitis B and hemophilus influenza type B.
It is prescribed that a physical person, as well as a parent, adoptive parent or guardian of a minor, will be fined for an offense with a fine in the amount of 100 to 2.000 euros if they refuse and do not allow a child of preschool and school age to be vaccinated against these diseases, except in the case of a medical contraindication that determined by a medical doctor or a professional team... However, practice shows that fines of 100 to 150 euros are most often imposed, with a maximum of 800. In Montenegro, from April until last Friday, 16 cases of smallpox were registered, and the IJZ pointed out that are extremely worried that at the beginning of the new school year there could be a significant worsening of the situation, which would seriously endanger the health of a large number of children.
Bonus video:
