Islamic Scholars Call for Access to Vaccinate Children

Amman, Feb.27 (Petra) – Protection against diseases is obligatory and admissible under the Islamic Shariah, and that any actions which do not support these preventive measures and cause harm to humanity are un-Islamic, Islamic scholars said Thursday.
During the first meeting of the Global Islamic Advisory Group for polio eradication, religious leaders denounced violence against health workers involved in polio vaccination campaigns, saying that such violence caused lasting harm to children and communities.
The scholars led by the Grand Imam of the Holy Mosque of Mecca, adopted a strong “Jeddah Declaration” and a focused six-month Action Plan to address critical challenges facing polio eradication efforts in the few remaining polio-endemic parts of the Islamic world: a ban on vaccinations and lack of access to children in some areas, deadly attacks on health workers, and misconceptions in the community about mass vaccination campaigns.
The scholars reiterated the safety and acceptability in Islam of vaccination against polio, saying it was a sin to make any claim to the contrary and expose the children to unnecessary risk. While most of the world – including the Muslim community of nations – is polio-free, the three countries which remain endemic for polio are largely Muslim: Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan.
Representing various schools of Islamic scholarship and thought, the group was convened following a consultation of leading scholars in March 2013. The group is intended to bolster the support of the Islamic community and leadership to polio eradication and to communicate trust in the safety and effectiveness of vaccination.
The group adopted a six-month action plan with a focus on support to Pakistan and Somalia, which have the highest number of children paralyzed by polio. The IAG members will lobby with the national and local religious leaders about the religious duty of parents and communities to protect children and to allow health workers to carry out their duties and their safety must be assured. The group also resolved to ensure that information on the safety of vaccination is easily available to relevant religious and community leaders and to advocate in favour of financial and technical support for polio eradication with the Islamic donor community.
The group is co-chaired by the International Islamic Fiqh Academy and Al Azhar Al Sharif. The Jeddah-based Fiqh Academy and the Cairo-based Al Azhar Al Sharif, together with the Islamic Development Bank and Organization of Islamic Cooperation are the major founding members of group.