Afghanistan Peace Campaign
Some families in Afghanistan are refusing or delaying childhood vaccinations because of concerns about side effects, rumours linking vaccines to infertility and distrust of health institutions, leaving children vulnerable to diseases that can be prevented through immunization.
Soriya, a mother of three children aged 12, eight and five, said none of her children had received vaccines, arguing that their good health so far had made her question the need for immunization.
“None of my three children has been vaccinated, and thank God, they are healthy so far,” she said. “You consider vaccines very important, but those who refuse them must have their reasons. Parents care about their children’s health more than anyone else.”
Health experts, however, warn that a child remaining healthy without vaccination does not mean the child is protected against infectious diseases. Vaccines prepare the immune system to recognize and fight specific infections before exposure, reducing the risk of serious illness, disability and death.
Maryam, who asked to be identified by a pseudonym, described the death of a neighbour’s one-year-old child following a high fever. She said she later learned that the child’s mother had not arranged vaccination because she was waiting for the baby to gain weight. However, no medical diagnosis was provided to establish the cause of death or determine whether it was related to a vaccine-preventable disease.
Meanwhile, Tamana, a vaccinator, said some health workers face verbal abuse and hostility while trying to provide immunization services to children.
“Insulting and humiliating vaccination workers is also wrong,” she said, recalling an incident in which residents called her team “vaccine beggars,” used abusive language and told them not to return. She questioned why health workers trying to protect children’s health were being treated with hostility.
Dr Mohammad Iqbal Anosh, an internal medicine and paediatrics specialist interviewed for the report, said there was no credible scientific evidence that childhood vaccines cause infertility in girls or boys. He explained that vaccines stimulate the immune system to develop protection against specific diseases and undergo scientific assessments of quality, safety and effectiveness before being introduced into official immunization programmes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also rejects claims linking vaccination to infertility, stating that there is no scientific evidence that vaccination reduces a person’s ability to have children naturally. It says most vaccine side effects are mild and short-lived, such as a sore arm or mild fever, while serious reactions are extremely rare. Vaccines are also subject to continued safety monitoring after their introduction.
Anosh warned that refusing or delaying childhood immunization increases the risk of diseases including measles, polio, whooping cough and diphtheria, some of which can cause pneumonia, brain inflammation, permanent paralysis and death. Unvaccinated children can also contribute to the spread of infectious diseases within their communities.
The risks are particularly significant in Afghanistan. WHO data recorded 18,260 reported measles cases in the country in 2025, compared with 9,769 in 2024, highlighting the continuing challenge of protecting children against the highly contagious disease.
Globally, WHO and UNICEF reported in July 2026 that approximately 116 million infants, or 90 percent of the world’s total, received at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine in 2025. Around 110 million, or 85 percent, completed the recommended three-dose series. However, 13.5 million infants received no vaccines during their first year of life, while another 7.3 million began vaccination but did not complete the initial stages of the schedule.
Afghanistan has also undertaken large-scale efforts to close immunization gaps. In November 2025, WHO, UNICEF and Gavi announced that two phases of a nationwide measles vaccination campaign had reached more than 16.6 million children aged six months to 10 years. The organizations said strengthening routine immunization remained essential to ensuring that children received the full protection they needed.
Anosh said restoring public confidence requires clear health information, respectful engagement with parents and greater involvement of trusted community figures, including religious scholars and tribal elders. Making accurate information available through mosques, schools and health centres could also help counter rumours and encourage families to complete their children’s vaccination schedules.