Vaccination Practices in Ottoman Schools

This study focuses on the measures taken against epidemics and vaccination in schools, which were one of the main points of spread of diseases in the Ottoman Empire. With the Vaccination Regulations that came into force in 1885, 1894, 1907 and 1915, the primary target of compulsory smallpox vaccination was children. In this context, the vaccination of children in the center and periphery, the appointment of health officials to do this work, and the extent to which the theory was reflected in practice were evaluated through archival documents. In addition, the introduction of a vaccination requirement for the enrollment of children in private and public schools, the implementation of this requirement not only in ibtidâî schools and rüştiyes but also in higher education institutions such as the School of Engineering, and the introduction of the Penal Code in cases of contradiction are among the important steps taken by the state in this regard. In particular, the fact that the supervisory authorities worked together to contribute to the decision-making process in the identification and isolation of children infected with the disease in schools, the cleaning of schools and the vacation of schools, when necessary, shows the importance attached to the issue of epidemics and vaccination.