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The report on the tragic death of an unvaccinated three-year-old boy from diphtheria in the Czech Republic has reopened a serious debate about the importance of vaccination. Cases of diseases that were practically under control for decades, thanks to mandatory universal vaccination, are resurfacing. The Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) sees this situation as a strong warning about the consequences of weakening trust in medicine and scientific facts. In the interest of protecting public health, the country’s highest scientific institution therefore calls for responsibility and a rational approach to preventive healthcare.

“Vaccination is one of the greatest medical achievements in human history. Only thanks to widespread vaccination have we completely eradicated threats such as smallpox and brought tetanus and diphtheria under control. Before the introduction of vaccination, whooping cough killed more children than all other diseases combined, and vaccination remains the only effective defence against rabies, which we still cannot cure. It is estimated that smallpox alone claimed more than 300 million lives during the 20th century. Thanks to vaccination, the last recorded case occurred in 1977, and in 1980, smallpox was officially declared eradicated.

Questioning these facts based on incorrect interpretations opens the door to the return of diseases that we believed had long disappeared. Unfortunately, undermining trust in science now has real and tragic consequences,” says Martin Venhart, President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.

The Slovak Academy of Sciences has long been committed to providing the public with precise, scientifically grounded evidence regarding the safety of modern vaccines. A detailed analysis of the mRNA vaccines Comirnaty and Spikevax was carried out by a team from the Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (BMC SAS), in cooperation with Comenius University, and has also received international recognition. The analysis results underwent rigorous independent peer review and were published in npj Vaccines, a journal within the Nature portfolio. The study confirmed that the amount of residual DNA does not exceed regulatory limits.

The European Medicines Agency has also acknowledged the results of Slovak scientists.

“The team from BMC SAS clearly disproved claims about the presence of graphene or excessive levels of residual DNA in these vaccines. As leading virologists from BMC SAS, headed by Boris Klempa, have repeatedly pointed out, infectious diseases have not disappeared. Due to declining vaccination rates, we are losing the collective immunity that has protected society for decades. Spreading unfounded claims is a dangerous manipulation of fear. Decisions concerning the health of our children must be based on verified facts, not emotions,” warns Martin Venhart.

The Slovak Academy of Sciences once again calls for responsibility and respect for medical science, which has protected lives for generations and continues to help prevent unnecessary tragedies.

A statement by members of the Council of the Learned Society of Slovakia is attached.

Prepared by: Jozef Bednár

Photo: unsplash.com/Mufid Majnun