Twenty percent to 30% of families avoid getting their babies vaccinated against all childhood diseases because they can't afford the well-baby (tipat halav) station fees.
By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICHvaccination 224.88(photo credit: AP)
A private member's bill that would abolish payment of fees for well-baby services - NIS 500 through the age of 18 months - will be presented for first reading in the Knesset on Monday, even though the Health and Finance ministries are likely to oppose it because they don't agree which of them will cover the few tens of millions of shekels involved.
Twenty percent to 30% of families avoid getting their babies and toddlers vaccinated against all childhood diseases because they can't afford the well-baby (tipat halav) station fees, studies have shown.
Most of the recent health ministers have advocated free well-baby services, as immunizations are cost-effective and free shots encourage parents to bring their children in, but none found the money. An example is the epidemic of measles that has raged during the past year, mostly in haredi communities, some of whose members don't go for financial reasons and others out of ideology.
The free child-vaccination bill was prepared by MK Arye Eldad (National Union/National Religious Party), a burns surgeon by training.
"Investing in vaccinations is the most correct in the whole health system," Eldad said Sunday. "The bill is coming more than 50 years too late."
Thousands of babies and toddlers are unprotected against polio, diphtheria, measles, whooping cough, meningitis and other diseases, he said, adding: "There are some countries that require giving vaccinations by law, and there some who give parents financial incentives" for doing it because it is for their good and for the good of the country.
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