Research Article

Vaccination Certificates in the Ottoman Empire

Volume: 16 Number: 3 September 28, 2026
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Vaccination Certificates in the Ottoman Empire

Abstract

Aim: This study examines the vaccination certificates issued to individuals vaccinated against infectious diseases in the Ottoman Empire and the related public health activities of the state. Furthermore, the impact of sanctions and penalties imposed on those who opposed vaccination efforts on vaccination and public health will be discussed. Method: Archival documents from the Ottoman Archives of the Presidency, including bureaucratic correspondence of the Ottoman Empire in the nineteenth century regarding vaccination certificates, constitute the main source group for this study. Primary sources such as treatises, regulations, and periodicals of the period have also been utilized for this study. Findings: Vaccination certificates appear to have functioned as a complement to the state's vaccination policy and, in a certain sense, as a mechanism of supervision. They were frequently mentioned in the regulations that established the legal basis for compulsory vaccination and for the imposition of sanctions on those who failed to comply with this requirement. Thus, vaccination certificates also served as evidence for the legal implementation of the state's mandatory vaccination policy. Conclusion: With vaccination certificates, the state was able to more closely monitor its public health policies, which it prioritized in the nineteenth century, and institutionalized vaccination efforts in a more centralized manner. Through these certificates, which enabled the systematic monitoring of vaccination activities, the state took important steps in combating many infectious diseases, especially smallpox. Furthermore, thanks to the measures it took, it ensured the widespread adoption of this practice throughout the Ottoman Empire.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Public Health (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

September 28, 2026

Submission Date

March 15, 2026

Acceptance Date

June 9, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 16 Number: 3

APA
Altunsoy, B. (2026). Vaccination Certificates in the Ottoman Empire. Lokman Hekim Dergisi, 16(3), 731-744. https://doi.org/10.31020/mutftd.1910029
AMA
1.Altunsoy B. Vaccination Certificates in the Ottoman Empire. Lokman Hekim Dergisi. 2026;16(3):731-744. doi:10.31020/mutftd.1910029
Chicago
Altunsoy, Burak. 2026. “Vaccination Certificates in the Ottoman Empire”. Lokman Hekim Dergisi 16 (3): 731-44. https://doi.org/10.31020/mutftd.1910029.
EndNote
Altunsoy B (September 1, 2026) Vaccination Certificates in the Ottoman Empire. Lokman Hekim Dergisi 16 3 731–744.
IEEE
[1]B. Altunsoy, “Vaccination Certificates in the Ottoman Empire”, Lokman Hekim Dergisi, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 731–744, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.31020/mutftd.1910029.
ISNAD
Altunsoy, Burak. “Vaccination Certificates in the Ottoman Empire”. Lokman Hekim Dergisi 16/3 (September 1, 2026): 731-744. https://doi.org/10.31020/mutftd.1910029.
JAMA
1.Altunsoy B. Vaccination Certificates in the Ottoman Empire. Lokman Hekim Dergisi. 2026;16:731–744.
MLA
Altunsoy, Burak. “Vaccination Certificates in the Ottoman Empire”. Lokman Hekim Dergisi, vol. 16, no. 3, Sept. 2026, pp. 731-44, doi:10.31020/mutftd.1910029.
Vancouver
1.Burak Altunsoy. Vaccination Certificates in the Ottoman Empire. Lokman Hekim Dergisi. 2026 Sep. 1;16(3):731-44. doi:10.31020/mutftd.1910029

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