From 1 January 2015, children will be offered the previous childhood vaccination programme again, because Statens Serum Institut (SSI) can now provide vaccines again after one year with technical production issues.
The changes to the childhood vaccination programme:
- All children, who start the childhood vaccination programme after 1 January 2015, will be offered SSI's vaccines and will no longer be given hepatitis B vaccination.
- All children, who have received at least one injection of the temporary vaccine, and who have therefore started a hepatitis B vaccination programme, will be offered to complete the vaccination series. A complete hepatitis B vaccination series comprises three vaccinations, including any vaccinations administered as part of the temporary programme. The offer to complete the vaccination series is available until the end of 2015.
- Children, who started the vaccination programme with SSI´s vaccines and were then vaccinated under the temporary programme, will also be offered to complete the hepatitis B vaccination series until the end of 2015.
The changes in production also affected children, who were administered the diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio booster vaccination at 5 years of age. SSI's booster vaccine used for 5-year old children will also be available from 1 January 2015. From that date, children will be given one booster vaccination again instead of two separate injections.
Vaccination against Hepatitis B
Due to technical production issues at SSI, the childhood vaccination programme has used different vaccines since 15 January 2014. For example, the vaccine against e.g. tetanus, pertussis and polio administered at 3, 5 and 12 months also included a vaccine against hepatitis B.
All children were temporarily offered hepatitis B vaccination, because the vaccine used in replacement of the ordinary vaccine also comprised protection against hepatitis B.
We still do not find that all children should be vaccinated against hepatitis B. However, the recommendation for hepatitis B vaccination still applies to special risk groups. The vaccination is still free of charge for these risk groups.
Links
The Danish childhood vaccination programme
Temporary change in childhood vaccination programme to end by New Year