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Mostly women and children come to Poland from Ukraine. Many of them will find shelter in our country for a long time, some may stay with us forever. The youngest Ukrainians will join their peers in educational institutions and will be able to enjoy the benefits of Polish health care. The Polish Ministry of Health reported that Ukrainian children will be subject to mandatory vaccination. Under what conditions? Details below.
- The Polish Ministry of Health has published an order on preventive vaccinations for Ukrainian refugees
- According to the order, persons under the age of 19 who stay in Poland for more than three months will be subject to mandatory vaccination
- In Poland, mandatory vaccinations for children include, among others, vaccination against tuberculosis, hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, diphtheria and whooping cough
Ministry of Health on vaccination of Ukrainian children in Poland
According to the latest notification of the Ministry of Health of Poland, services related to preventive vaccinations for children living in Poland in connection with the armed conflict in Ukraine will be provided in primary health care facilities. Preventive vaccinations will be carried out according to the following rules:
1. Persons staying in the territory of the Republic of Poland for a period of up to three months may voluntarily undergo preventive vaccinations specified in the Program of Protective Vaccinations as mandatory for citizens of the Republic of Poland, using vaccines provided by sanitary-epidemiological stations under current conditions.
2. Vaccination of newborns against tuberculosis and hepatitis B, as well as subsequent vaccinations provided for by the Program of protective vaccinations, are mandatory for children born on the territory of the Republic of Poland.
3. Post-contact vaccinations, necessary to ensure the health and life of the patient (tetanus, rabies), must be carried out immediately according to the doctor’s decision.
4. Vaccinations are recorded in the immunization card or in the electronic vaccination card, the vaccination book and in the medical documentation.
5. The primary health care physician who cares for the child makes a decision on the initiation, continuation or addition of protective vaccinations for 2022, including the timing of vaccinations, in accordance with the individual vaccination calendar.
6. Persons under the age of 19 who live in the territory of the Republic of Poland for more than three months are required to undergo preventive vaccinations according to the Program of preventive vaccinations.
7. Protective vaccinations of children against COVID-19 are carried out in accordance with the recommendations given in the orders of the Minister of Health No. 15, 19, 20 and 21.
Importantly, the ministry decided that in the absence of medical documentation of vaccination, the child should be considered unvaccinated and specific vaccinations should be recommended. However, in the case of hospitalization of children with unknown vaccination status, the status of immunity against viral hepatitis should be assessed by examining the level of antibodies to HBs.
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What vaccinations for children are mandatory in Poland?
Protective vaccinations for children in Poland are carried out in accordance with the current Program of protective vaccinations (PSO 2022). Children must be vaccinated against:
● tuberculosis,
● hepatitis B (hepatitis B),
● rotavirus infections,
● diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough,
● invasive infections Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib),
● invasive infections Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus),
● acute infantile paralysis (poliomyelitis — polio),
● measles, mumps and rubella.
Most vaccinations begin in the first year of a child’s life, and subsequent doses are administered in subsequent years. The first, as a rule, in a hospital, vaccines against tuberculosis and hepatitis B are given immediately after birth. The latest vaccine is the third booster dose of the diphtheria and tetanus vaccine given to 19-year-olds.
Mandatory vaccinations for children are free (reimbursed at the expense of the National Health Care Fund).
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Which vaccinations are considered the most important?
The Ministry of Health also indicated which preventive vaccinations are the most important for Ukrainian children. Priority was given to:
- vaccination against measles with the MMR vaccine (against measles, epidemic mumps and rubella) in children of the younger group of the second year of life,
- vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and poliomyelitis according to age,
- hepatitis B according to age,
- vaccinations against COVID-19 (except PSO).
“According to the position of the team of protective vaccinations, the Minister of Health recommends carrying out protective vaccinations from the day of arrival in Poland to children under the age of 19, who are not vaccinated against infectious diseases, according to the Individual Vaccination Calendar. (ICS), determined by a doctor on the basis of PSO for 2022, with the use of vaccines provided by sanitary facilities under current conditions,” the ministry reported.
Selected vaccinations recommended for children in Poland
Regardless of mandatory vaccinations, you can also get a vaccine against other infectious diseases. The Ministry of Health of Poland recommends, among other things: vaccination against:
● flu,
● chicken pox,
● invasive infections Neisseria meningitidis (meningococci),
● hepatitis A,
● human papilloma virus (HPV).
Vaccinations are usually recommended for a fee, but there are also exemptions from payment. For example, children who attend nurseries, toddler clubs or other care facilities can be vaccinated against chicken pox for free. From November 23, 2021, you can also get a flu shot free of charge.
The complete calendar of preventive vaccinations in Poland for 2022 is available here.
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