→ → → Mandatory Vaccines for Kids
In Hungary, according to the prevailing legislation, children must be vaccinated against certain types of infections in order to prevent the diseases.
Continuous vaccines are provided by the GP at specified ages of the children, while campaign vaccines are ensured by the school-physician for children attending a particular school-year. Vaccinations must be recorded in the vaccination section of the Healthcare Booklet. In Hungary, the below listed vaccines are mandatory for children.
Continuous vaccines:
BCG-vaccine: protects infants and young children against miliar tuberculosis (a form of tuberculosis which affects the whole body) and purulent meningitis caused by tuberculosis. Newborns must be vaccinated at the Obstetrician Departments or within 4 weeks after birth. If a newborn does not get vaccinated at the Obstetrician Department, they must be vaccinated within 4 weeks after birth, or no later than their first birthday. In these situations (e.g. a Hungarian newborn citizen born abroad, or a newborn with foreign citizenship staying longterm in Hungary) the county’s medical officer decides on, and organizes the BCG vaccination of the children.
DTPa + IPV + Hib vaccines: combined vaccine, when the children reach their age of 2-months, 3-months and 4-months. These are against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus (lockjaw); poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis); Haemophilus influenzae type B bacterium, which causes the infection of the epiglottis (epiglottitis) and which might lead to suffocation.
PCV13-vaccine: against several diseases caused by the bacterium called Pneumococci. Primary series of vaccination is given at 2 months and 4 months of age, at the same time when the DTPa + IPV + Hib vaccination is provided. The booster vaccine is given at 12 months of age. The vaccine must be introduced at two different body regions.
MMR-vaccine: contains live, attenuated viruses against measles, mumps and rubella. Children are vaccinated with it at 15 months of age.
Varicella: contains live, attenuated viruses and protects against chicken pox. Vaccination must be provided for children who have not been through chicken pox. The first vaccine is given at 13 months of age, the second at 16 months of age.
Campaign vaccines:
After the age of 11, continuous vaccines are provided within the scope of campaign vaccines in school. Although continuous vaccination has several merits, children between ages 11-14 are easier vaccinated in the school than individually.
Available campaign vaccines:
MMR-booster
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (dTap) booster
Hepatitis B: protects against one form of the viral liver inflammation (hepatitis B virus).
