Vaccination

Vaccine is an effective tool that helps to combat many infectious diseases. Vaccination protects you from dangerous infectious diseases.

Vaccination is voluntary. The parent or legal guardian of a child or a person with restricted legal capacity decides on the vaccination of that person. Before performing the vaccination, the health care professional checks the state of the health of the patient and finds out whether or not they have permanent or temporary contradictions for vaccinations. In case of contradictions, vaccination is not performed or is temporarily postponed.

When to vaccinate

• The immunisation of new-born children against tuberculosis and hepatitis B virus is carried out in maternity hospitals. The vaccination of preschool children is organised by a family physician or nurse on the basis of the immunisation schedule.
• The vaccination of school-aged children and adolescents is organised by the school doctor or nurse on the basis of the immunisation schedule. A prior notification is sent to parents about vaccinations carried out at school. A parent must give their consent for vaccination.
• Before travelling, ask for a medical consultation from your family physician, a traveller’s medicine office or travel agency.
• Vaccination provides the most effective protection against influenza and it is recommended to get vaccinated as early as in October. In the case of healthy individuals, it takes 10 to 14 days after vaccination for the influenza vaccine to take effect and its effect is expected to last up to a year. In case of no contradictions, all persons over the age of six months may be vaccinated against influenza. Contradictions for influenza vaccine include hypersensitivity to egg protein or any of the ingredients of the vaccine and illness with high fever.
• There are effective and safe inactivated vaccines available for protection against tick-borne encephalitis for children as well as adults. The vaccination consist of three injections. The second injection is given 1–3 months after the first and the third up to a year after the second. After the first two injections, immunity is strong but will last for one season only; the third injection will prolong immunity. Children are vaccinated as early as one year of age.
• In case of occupations that carry a risk of exposure to infectious agents, employers must ensure that their employees are immunised.
• For positions involving a risk of being infected with an infectious disease, the employer must guarantee immunisation for employees.
• From the age of 25, adults have the right to be vaccinated against diphtheria and tetanus every ten years. Ask for a free vaccination from you family physician. The bacteria causing tetanus may enter the body as simply as through cuts and abrasions when gardening. Generally, if you go to the emergency room of a hospital with your injuries, you will be vaccinated against tetanus. However, if you have been vaccinated according to the schedule, be sure to tell that to the doctors in the emergency room and show your immunisation passport to them.

The health care professional will explain the need for immunisation to the patient or their representative, notify them of possible side effects and counsel them on other topics related to vaccination. The doctor or the nurse will make a record in the immunisation passport that will remain with the patient. It is necessary to bring along the immunisation passport each time when receiving vaccination. The immunisation passport has to be retained, as it could also be needed when travelling, working or studying in a foreign state. The immunisation passport is issued to infants in the maternity hospital and to other people when receiving vaccination from a family physician or another health care service provider.