Children’s Vaccinations – Reliable Protection Against Serious Diseases at No Cost to Parents
Preventive vaccinations given during childhood help protect children against serious infectious diseases and their complications. All vaccines included in the Childhood Preventive Vaccination Schedule are provided to children free of charge – their procurement is covered by the National Health Insurance Fund from Compulsory Health Insurance Fund funds.
Under the established Childhood Preventive Vaccination Schedule, children in Lithuania are vaccinated against 14 infectious diseases: tuberculosis, hepatitis B, pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, Haemophilus influenzae type B infection, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, pneumococcal and rotavirus infections, meningococcal type B infection, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Some vaccines are administered in several stages – the first vaccinations are given while the newborn is still at a healthcare facility, and protection is subsequently strengthened with booster doses.
“Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect children against serious diseases whose consequences can last a lifetime. Parents do not have to pay for the vaccines included in the preventive vaccination schedule – all procurement costs are covered by the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund, so all that remains is to ensure that the child is vaccinated on time,” says Lina Reinartienė, Head of the Centrally Procured Pharmaceuticals Division at the National Health Insurance Fund.
The first vaccine given to a newborn is the hepatitis B vaccine. It is administered within the first 24 hours of life because the baby can become infected with hepatitis B during childbirth. The second vaccine, against tuberculosis, is usually administered on the second or third day of life.
During the following years of early childhood, children are vaccinated against other dangerous infections. For example, the pneumococcal vaccine can protect against bacterial meningitis, pneumonia and middle ear infections. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine helps prevent diseases that can cause extremely serious complications, such as encephalitis or infertility.
At the age of eleven, both girls and boys are vaccinated free of charge against human papillomavirus (HPV). This vaccine significantly reduces the risk of developing certain types of cancer and other HPV-related diseases later in life.
All children aged 2 to 7 years, inclusive, are also vaccinated free of charge against seasonal influenza. If a child is receiving the influenza vaccine for the first time, two doses are administered, with an interval of at least four weeks between them.
The National Health Insurance Fund also covers the cost of the rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin if a child requires this preventive treatment following an animal bite.
Also, if a child has undergone immunosuppressive treatment or an organ transplant and doctors recommend restoring their immunisation, the vaccines are covered by the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund.
A small proportion of newborns cannot be vaccinated according to the usual schedule for medical reasons – in such cases, vaccination is postponed. However, there are also cases in which parents refuse vaccination by their own decision. Health professionals remind parents that the diseases themselves and their complications, particularly in infants and young children, pose a much greater threat than possible short-term reactions to vaccines.
If a child has not been vaccinated according to the established schedule, the family doctor prepares an individual vaccination plan to ensure that missed vaccines are administered safely and as effectively as possible. Before each vaccination, parents or guardians are informed about the vaccination procedure and possible reactions to the vaccine, and they sign the child’s health development record to confirm that they have received the information and consent to the child being vaccinated.
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