Parents of schoolchildren from Astana who complained about vaccination consent forms have been issued a new version of the document. The name of the vaccine is now printed in full in both the consent and the refusal, and questions about signs of autism and pregnancy have been removed from the questionnaire. At the same time, the questionnaire about the child's health has again been given to parents to fill in at home, although according to the rules this is done by a medical worker in a personal conversation.
WHAT THE POLYCLINIC PROMISED
As parents told FBK, after appeals to the editorial office they were contacted by the head of school medical offices of Salauatty Astana LLP, which services the school. According to the parents, the head acknowledged that the name of the vaccine had been indicated unclearly and that the questionnaire contained questions inappropriate for the age, and promised to issue a new form.
WHAT CHANGED IN THE FORM
In the first version, the name of the vaccine was written by hand in abbreviated form and only in the consent form. Now in both forms it is printed in full, indicating which diseases the vaccination is given against.
The section on signs of autism spectrum disorders, intended for young children, and the questions for "females" about pregnancy and breastfeeding have disappeared from the questionnaire. The refusal form is now drawn up in accordance with the new edition of the annex to the Sanitary Rules, which has been in force since 1 January 2025.
A memo in the Kazakh language has been attached to the form. It explains why the vaccination is needed and how dangerous the diseases it protects against are.
WHAT REMAINED UNCHANGED
The questionnaire is still handed to parents: the new form, together with the memo, as on the first occasion, was passed on through the child. The committee for sanitary and epidemiological control of the ministry of health previously responded to FBK's request that it is filled in by a medical worker in conversation with the parent, and that the questionnaire itself "is not a form for independent completion by parents".
The questionnaire still contains questions about the child's contact with infectious patients over the past 14 days and about a previous coronavirus infection, as well as a section for live vaccines, although it is still impossible to tell from the form whether the vaccine is live. Consent and refusal, as before, are drawn up on paper, although according to the department's clarification the main form is electronic.
The memo contains no information about possible reactions after vaccination. According to the Sanitary Rules, the medical worker must tell the parent specifically about the vaccination, possible reactions and the consequences of refusal. The memo itself refers for full information to medical workers.
CONTEXT
Recall that FBK previously reported on the forms that parents of schoolchildren received before routine vaccination. Medics had pre-filled the name of the vaccine in abbreviated form only in the consent column, and parents filled in the questionnaire at home, according to them, without the right to answer "don't know". Later the ministry of health confirmed that the questionnaire should be filled in by a medical worker, and the Sanitary Rules, including the procedure for questioning before vaccination, are planned to be revised in 2027.
FBK also sent a request to Salauatty Astana LLP asking for comment on the situation, but the polyclinic never responded.
