If the number of infections and deaths increases, if there is great destruction, or paralysis in society due to a pandemic, then state governments should use their prerogatives and impose mandatory vaccination.

Dr. Jasenko Karamehic

As a university professor, before the plague struck us, I often spoke to my students about vaccination as a procedure of deliberate stimulation of the immune system in the process of protection against disease; I would tell them that vaccination eliminates infectious diseases, such as smallpox. I talked about vaccines against bacterial diseases and their eradication, like smallpox, one of the most terrible infectious diseases in history. Then, about the active and passive acquisition of immunity by natural means or artificial intake of antigens. I told them all sorts of things, and today the time has come to talk about it more and more in public. Not only because the strength of Covid has gripped the whole world, but also because of the interest of the people. And it’s no secret that they are most interested in the opinion of immunologists. They trust them the most.

Since the first appearance of COVID 19, I have been in constant contact with colleagues in China – this cooperation has lasted for decades and serves as an exchange of scientific achievements and knowledge.

Unlike the plague that killed more than half of the population in Europe and Asia in the 14th century, when we had no clue what it was or how to oppose it, today everything is different. Vaccination!!!

The battle can only result in an effective and high quality victory if we use the vaccine; this can create a natural active immune response on a global scale – our world is a world of connected vessels.

For the past 2 years I have gotten to know the pandemic and the virus well, but there are just as many unknowns.

Though I must say that BiH has done very well, surprisingly well. Strong epidemiological measures have been introduced and implemented. Problems arose the moment when borders became volatile, when anyone who wanted to could enter the country, there was not enough testing …

From initial successes we came to the black list – so much so that when it comes to the number of deaths / 3134 per million inhabitants / BiH is immediately behind Peru in the world, and the first in Europe with over 10,200 deaths.

In addition, there is a very small number of fully vaccinated individuals, only 426,000 or 12.9%. And collective immunity requires that at least two-thirds of the total population be vaccinated.

BiH authorities did not respond very well – they were slow, there was not enough promotion of the vaccine, they were not procured on time, and huge irresponsibility has been shown, especially in the light of the large salaries they receive. A great disgrace and shame.

On the other hand, the medical profession did a great job.

I’d like to highlight that I advocate voluntary vaccination, if the results in the field allow for it. If the number of infections and deaths increases, if there is great destruction, or paralysis in society due to a pandemic, then state governments should use their prerogatives and impose mandatory vaccination.

Only then do I support special and imposed measures. But as long as politics has an impact on health and science, we are not in a good place. Because the people staffing the Health Crisis Committees are political employees, you cannot expect them to cope with this specific job which requires professional knowledge in the field. They do not listen to the orders of science. All this is best evidenced by scandals with respirators, embezzlement in the procurement of other necessities…

I am the president of the Association of Immunologists. The immunologist is one of the most important weapons in the fight against the pandemic. And not a single immunologist was part of the Crisis Committee in Bosnia and Herzegovina; that shows great recklessness.

 

Dr. Jasenko Karamehic,  Emeritus at University of Tuzla, leading immunologist in BiH