NIK on compulsory vaccination of children and adolescents

The Supreme Audit Office has pointed to numerous irregularities in the implementation of mandatory immunization in Poland. Despite the clearly defined tasks of the State Sanitary Inspectorate and primary health care facilities, vaccination rates are falling, and the number of vaccination refusals has increased from 40,000 in 2018 to 87,000 in 2023.

Major issues include:

• Lack of effective oversight and enforcement of mandatory vaccination,
• delays in administrative actions (the average processing time was as long as 600 days),
• errors in data reporting by PSSE and POZ,
• limited educational activities on vaccination.

The result of negligence is the failure to achieve the recommended vaccination rate of 90-95%, which increases the risk of epidemics of infectious diseases such as measles, rubella and diphtheria. In one of the inspected facilities, the vaccination level was only 17%!

The NIK also pointed out systemic problems, such as the lack of a widespread electronic vaccination card and an insufficient number of supervisory staff at the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (just two).

The conclusions of the NIK report include recommendations to the Minister of Health, the Chief Sanitary Inspector and the PSSE and POZ, among others:

• Increasing vaccination rates through educational and promotional activities,
• Computerization of the immunization documentation system,
• Effective enforcement of mandatory vaccination,
• Improving the quality and consistency of data reporting.

Source: NIK