The Chief Sanitary Inspector stressed that currently the immunization system is based on paper records kept at vaccination centers. As the NIK audit showed, vaccination centers report incomplete data on immunization status, which makes the statistics of the State Sanitary Inspectorate incomplete. In addition, the current system does not provide real-time verification of which child has received which immunizations.
The most beneficial solution to this problem will be the introduction of an electronic Mandatory Vaccination Card, which will provide real-time access to data on vaccination status and reasons for non-vaccination. This will improve communication between vaccination centers and district sanitary-epidemiological stations and parents, and allow rapid response to vaccination delays in individual patients.
In anticipation of the entry into force of the amendments to the law introducing this solution, employees of district sanitary-epidemiological stations will conduct a detailed verification of the immunization status data contained in immunization cards in the first quarter of 2025. This will make it possible to prepare an initial database for the moment when digital solutions are introduced.
- The inspection will cover nearly 10,000 vaccination centers, both those using vaccines purchased by the Minister of Health and those using vaccines purchased by the parents of vaccinated children. It will also cover the records of some 7.5 million children and adolescents between the ages of 0 and 19, the Chief Sanitary Inspector said.
- Under the current system, we have no way to determine which of the unvaccinated children have medical contraindications, and how many do not register for vaccinations due to parental refusal, the Chief Sanitary Inspector stressed.
- Many people who do not vaccinate their children are not declared opponents of vaccination, but people who have lost confidence in vaccination under the influence of unreliable information circulating in the public space. Therefore, one of our priorities will be health promotion and health education. We want to reliably inform, educate and build confidence in vaccinations. Next year will be very intensive for us in terms of carrying out tasks in this area," added Dr. Pawel Grzesiowski.
