Vaccination policy

Strictest vaccination policy by country
     Mandatory to all      Mandatory to some      Recommended to all      Recommended to some

A vaccination policy is a health policy adopted in order to prevent the spread of infectious disease. These policies are generally put into place by state or local governments, but may also be set by private facilities, such as workplaces or schools.[1][2] Many policies have been developed and implemented since vaccines were first made widely available.

The main purpose of implementing a vaccination policy is complete eradication of a disease, as was done with smallpox. This, however, can be a difficult feat to accomplish or even confirm. Many governmental public health agencies (such as the CDC or ECDC) rely on vaccination policies to create a herd immunity within their populations. Immunization advisory committees are usually responsible for providing those in leadership positions with information used to make evidence-based decisions regarding vaccines and other health policies.

Vaccination policies vary from country to country, with some mandating them and others strongly recommending them. Some places only require them for people utilizing government services, like welfare or public schools. A government or facility may pay for all or part of the costs of vaccinations, such as in a national vaccination schedule,[3] or job requirement.[4] Cost-benefit analyses of vaccinations have shown that there is an economic incentive to implement policies, as vaccinations save the State time and money by reducing the burden preventable diseases and epidemics have on healthcare facilities and funds.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ "State Immunization Laws for Healthcare Workers and Patients | CDC". 2.cdc.gov. 25 September 2018. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  2. ^ "What Colleges Require the COVID-19 Vaccine? | BestColleges". Bestcolleges.com. 11 October 2021. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Coronavirus immunisation programme". Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  4. ^ CDC (19 June 2022). "COVID-19 Vaccination". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Diseases & Vaccines | immunizecanada". immunize.ca. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  6. ^ Editorial Board (16 February 2016). "Vaccines save lives – and money". VaccinesToday. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Vaccines Save Lives". AHIP. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2022.