A person’s vaccination may be mandatory or recommended. Mandatory vaccination may be required for persons working in particular jobs (e.g., in health care).
A person’s vaccination may be mandatory or recommended. In Lithuania, mandatory vaccines are determined by the Government.
Each EU country has a separate immunisation programme and an approved vaccination calendar.
Mandatory vaccination and patient rights
The term “mandatory vaccination” should not be misunderstood: people are not forced to be vaccinated. The word “mandatory” is used because such vaccination is a precondition for certain professions and activities (working in a school, etc.).
Lithuanian legislation defines diseases against which vaccination is mandatory, as well as groups of people for whom some vaccines are mandatory in order to protect individual and public health.
Mandatory vaccination is funded by the State.
example If you are not allowed to work in a high risk workplace because of the lack of vaccination, this is not a violation of your right to private and family life. Such measures may be legitimately imposed to protect the health of you and others.
Patient rights also apply in the context of vaccination. This means that you can:
- receive information about vaccination
- choose whether to get vaccinated
- choose a vaccination institution
- refuse vaccination
Recommended vaccination
The recommended vaccines preventing persons from catching different infectious diseases are determined by the national health protection systems of the states.
example Vaccination against seasonal flu is a recommended vaccine in Lithuania.