Vaccination in Family Medicine Practice

Vaccination is the most effective measure against infectious diseases. Due to vaccinations, smallpox was eliminated, poliomyelitis and tetanus morbidity decreased dramatically. According to WHO, 12 million children around the world annually die from infectious diseases. Of these, 7.5 million lives are lost to diseases against which we do not yet have vaccines, but more than 4 million people die from preventable diseases. Immunization is currently considered to be one of the most effective and cost-effective medical interventions in the epidemic process. The more economically developed a country is, the more diseases is its population protected from with the help of immunoprophylaxis. In order to create herd immunity, WHO recommends that at least 95 % of individuals should be vaccinated. However, in the Lviv region andUkrainethere is a negative tendency to reduce the coverage of preventive vaccinations up to 45–53%, which is a danger of the emergence and epidemic spread of preve ntable diseases.The objective: was to analyze the legislative framework on immunoprophylaxis, the peculiarities of planning preventive vaccinations, the requirements for vaccination offices and modern contraindications for vaccination.Materials and methods. Legal documents on immunoprophylaxis were analysed, 210 family doctors were surveyed on immunoprophylaxis awareness.Conclusions. There is a necessity of continuous professional development of physicians on immunoprophylaxis, including training, theoretical improvement courses, internships in European countries and Ukrainian vaccination centers.