Authorities are urging legal guardians to let their children be administered the swine flu vaccine following a nationwide Ministry of Health survey revealing that 65 percent of school pupils' parents do not intend to sign their approval. A ministry source said on the eve of the launch of the national vaccination campaign that guardians' failure to enquire of the date for administering the vaccination or of the nature of the vaccination itself reflected a “complete rejection” of what is a voluntary immunization requiring parental approval. “I hope guardians come to understand the importance of this vaccination which is safe and has no side effects as shown by World Health Organization reports,” the ministry source said. The ministry study was conducted with the help of regional education administrations, and the Ministry of Education urged parents on Thursday to approve vaccination for their children, citing the “threat of an expected third wave of the virus during this winter season.”
