Slovakia

In Slovakia immunisation is mandatory against 10 (ten) diseases:

• diphtheria (from 2-3 months of age, 3 doses, plus boosters starting from 5 years of age)
• haemophilus influenzae tybe B (from 2-3 months of age, 3 doses)
• hepatitis B (from 2-3 months of age, 3 doses)
• measles (from 14-17 months of age, 2 doses)
• mumps (from 14-17 months of age, 2 doses)
• pertussis (from 2-3 months of age, 3 doses, plus boosters starting from 5 years of age)
• pneumococcus (from 2-3 months of age, 3 doses)
• poliomyelitis (from 2-3 months of age, 3 doses, plus boosters starting from 5 years of age)
• rubella (from 14-17 months of age, 2 doses)
• tetanus (from 2-3 months of age, 3 doses, plus boosters starting from 5 years of age)

Healthcare workers and students are obliged to have the HepB vaccine, people in orphanages and senior care facilities are obliged to have the flu vaccines but many of them ignore that without being fined. Those who do not comply with the mandatory vaccination schedule can be fined up to eur 331,00 per parent, regardless of number of vaccines or unvaccinated children. Some local health authorities refrained from imposing fines, so in some areas of Slovakia people are free to refuse vaccination without being sanctioned.

It is mandatory for a doctor to give the vaccine package insert to the parents before vaccination but most doctors don”t do that. Exemptions are allowed for medical contraindications only, which are very hard to get. Most doctors hesitate to approve a contraindication to vaccination even in absolutely clear cases covered by patient information leaflets (PIL). Vaccination rates in Slovakia are dropping the fourth year in a row. Therefore health authorities are planning to strengthen sanctions for vaccine refusers (e.g., no jab, no kindergarten), but this project has not yet entered the legislation process.

No objection to vaccination is accepted, not even religious objection to abortion cell cultures used in the manufacturing process of the MMR vaccine, in spite of being officially a 70 percent catholic country.

No legal problem to attend any preschool or school grade in Slovakia, yet some preschool directors don’t allow unvaccinated children in their facilities and deny them to attend the facility excusing with low capacity. Parents can usually find another local preschool, who admits unvaccinated children.

According to PILs, less than 1 in 1 thousand adverse events following immunisation is reported. Parents are not informed about serious adverse reactions (SAR) by their pediatricians, most pediatricians do not report adverse events, most parent do not know they can report vaccine adverse events their own. the Slovak Medicines Agency refuses to accept reports about some Adverse Events Following Immunisation. Report adverse events in Slovakia here.