The child health questionnaire before vaccination in Kazakhstan must be completed by a healthcare worker in conversation with the parent, not by the parents themselves at home. However, at one school in Astana, parents received such questionnaires through their children and completed them independently.
WHO SHOULD COMPLETE THE QUESTIONNAIRE
As the FBRK was informed by the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Control of the Ministry of Health, the questionnaire from Appendix 4 to the Sanitary Rules on preventive vaccinations "is not a form for independent completion by parents".
The committee explained that before vaccination, a healthcare worker interviews the person being vaccinated or their legal representative, and "the questionnaire survey is completed by the healthcare worker during the conversation". If necessary, the healthcare worker supplements the questionnaire with information they consider necessary for assessing health and deciding on vaccination.
Prior to this, a doctor, general practitioner or paediatrician, or in their absence a feldsher, collects the medical history and examines the child with temperature measurement. Only after this does the healthcare worker register clearance for vaccination in the medical information system.
WHAT THE PARENT SHOULD BE EXPLAINED BEFORE SIGNING
Informing the parent was described by the department as "a mandatory stage of preparation for vaccination". The healthcare worker must explain the vaccination, possible reactions and adverse effects, as well as the consequences of refusal. The parent must have the opportunity to receive explanations and ask questions before giving consent.
PAPER OR ELECTRONIC CONSENT
Under paragraph 14 of the Sanitary Rules, as clarified by the committee, vaccinations are carried out after obtaining informed electronic consent. A scanned paper version is permitted only in the event of technical failures. Parents of schoolchildren who contacted the FBRK were given consent forms on paper through their children.
WHAT REMAINED UNANSWERED
The editorial team also asked why the form includes questions about signs of autism spectrum disorders, whether it is permissible to answer "don't know", and who is responsible for the consequences if the information in the questionnaire is incomplete. These questions were not commented on in the response. The Sanitary Rules, including the procedure for pre-vaccination interviewing, are planned to be revised in 2027.
CONTEXT
The FBRK previously wrote about the forms that parents of pupils at one of Astana's schools, assigned to «Салауатты Астана» LLP, received. The healthcare workers had pre-filled the vaccine name only in the consent column. According to the parents, they completed the questionnaire at home without the option to answer "don't know". Parents noted that many questions were worded ambiguously, and some did not correspond to the child's age.
In December 2025, the sanitary and epidemiological control authorities established that vaccination refusals at this polyclinic were completed not in accordance with the approved form. The FBRK also sent a request to «Салауатты Астана» LLP asking for comment on the situation, but the polyclinic never responded.
