Lithuania

Vaccination policies

NB. Information dated to 2016, we will update the sheet as soon as we have more updated information

In Lithuania childhood immunization is recommended. In May 2015, the Ministry of Health prepared a draft amendment to the current law, which provides for the obligation to vaccinate all children under 16 against polio, measles and rubella. From 1 January 2016, vaccines against polio, measles and rubella could become mandatory for admission to all pre-school institutions. If Parliament agrees, the amendment will come into force on 1 July 2016. In that case, all children under 16 will have to be vaccinated against polio, measles and rubella. The commercial vaccines currently used in Lithuania are MMR Priorix and DTaP Pentaxim, which means that the child should receive 4 more vaccines instead of the mandatory 3, contrary to the law.

Parents who choose not to vaccinate their children will be fined.

Exceptions apply only when there are medical contraindications to vaccination, but it is extremely difficult to obtain them.

School

In Lithuania, unvaccinated children can now attend nurseries, nursery schools and primary schools, but from 1 January 2016 pre-school institutions can require compulsory vaccination against polio, measles and rubella, as indicated above.

homeschooling

Although it is currently legal, homeschooling was initially banned in 2012 due to the passing of the new education law, which stipulated that every child must attend school. The Lithuanian Homeschooling Association has been working with the Ministry of Education for several years to lift the ban.

In December 2019, after a 3-hour conference in parliament, 75 deputies voted in favor of the education change, none voted against and only 7 abstained. The additional article, which included family education in the Education Law as Law No. 31 (1), was approved.

For more information visit the websiteHSLDA.

Vaccination schedule

For more information visit the websiteEcdc.

Recognition and compensation for vaccine injuries

In Lithuania: Side effects are mostly denied and not reported. There is no law or compensation fund and the parents can at most obtain judicial recognition of the damage. Doctors are prevented or denied from recording adverse events following immnusio and cannot assume any responsibility in this regard. Once, during a live television broadcast, the Minister of Health threatened to remove the license of a famous homeopathic doctor because he had spoken about vaccine damage.

Local organizations pro-freedom of choice in the therapeutic field