Almaty health authority rejects claims of zero child vaccination rate

The Almaty Public Health Department has called reports of a zero child vaccination rate in the city incorrect. The department said the data concern certain private medical organizations and do not reflect the overall situation in the megacity. It said low coverage was recorded in 12 private medical organizations.

The department noted that private clinics are independent business entities working under contracts with the Social Medical Insurance Fund (FSMS), and that it has no powers of state control or administrative measures over them. It said vaccination indicators in state medical organizations are regularly analyzed. In the first nine months of 2026, measles vaccination coverage among children reached 69.3 percent against a planned 71.9 percent. The shortfall was attributed mainly to medical exemptions and parental refusals, including on religious grounds.

The claims stemmed from a board meeting attended by Almaty city akim Darkhan Satybaldy and Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova, where officials said measles cases were rising, child vaccination targets for under-16s had not been met, and some medical organizations recorded zero rates for certain vaccines.