The Ministry of Health has published an announcement regarding the issuance of reimbursable prescriptions for vaccines recommended for pregnant women during hospitalization. The ministry stresses that if the doctor considers the vaccination medically justified, its administration may be part of the benefit provided during the patient's hospital stay and should be provided free of charge.
Health Ministry clarifies rules for vaccinating pregnant women in hospitals
Published May 26, 2026 08:32
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The Health Ministry has issued a communiqué clarifying the rules for administering reimbursable vaccines to pregnant women during hospitalization. The document indicates that current regulations allow such vaccinations to be provided as a guaranteed benefit if the attending physician deems them medically necessary.
The Ministry recalls that, in accordance with Article 35(1) of the Law on Publicly Funded Health Care Services, a patient admitted to a hospital is provided free of charge with medicines necessary for the performance of the service. This also applies to vaccines that are immunological medicinal products.
This means that if the doctor in charge of the diagnostic and therapeutic process during hospitalization qualifies the pregnant woman for the recommended vaccination, the administration of the vaccine becomes part of the benefit provided during the hospital stay. In such a situation, the patient should receive the vaccine free of charge.
The Ministry also points out that, according to the regulation on guaranteed hospital treatment services, hospitalization is understood as a continuous diagnostic and therapeutic process - from admission to discharge. It is the treatment team, guided by current medical knowledge, that decides on all actions necessary during treatment, including the administration of vaccines.
The communiqué stresses that the decision to vaccinate may be particularly important in clinically justified situations, such as pregnancies at risk of complications, when protecting the patient from an infectious disease is important for the safety of the mother and child.
The ministry also clarifies organizational issues. The hospital can provide the vaccine itself, or the doctor can issue a prescription for a reimbursable vaccine, which the patient will then fill at the pharmacy, and the preparation will already be administered in the hospital ward.
The Health Minister's communiqué took effect on the date of publication, May 25, 2026.
Source: MZ
