Vaccination

National Vaccination Programme is nationwide, free of charge and available to everyone in Portugal.

https://eportugal.gov.pt/cidadaos-europ … e-rastreiohttps://www.sns24.gov.pt/guia/programa- … vacinacao/

Graphic vaccination scheme: (Nascimento = birth, Meses = months, Anos = years )
https://www.lusiadas.pt/blog/prevencao- … -vacinacao



Vaccinations against diphtheria and tetanus are mandatory.

In general, it is not mandatory to take the National Vaccination Programme vaccines. However, there are exceptions, such as the diphtheria and tetanus vaccine, in the following cases: to enrol in or take an examination in an educational institution, you must have up-to-date vaccines against diphtheria and tetanus.

The Portuguese General Health Department (DGS) recommends that all the vaccines in the National Vaccination Programme are taken, in order to reduce the impact of the target diseases for vaccination on the health of the person and the population.

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Covid19 vaccination is neither mandatory nor yet recommended.
Clinical trials with children (i.e. under 18 years) are very few and it is not yet possible to say whether the vaccine is safe and effective or what dose should be given to this group.

Thank you for your reply JohnnyPT. However does it mean if my children never had any vaccine in their life they won’t be able to attend Portuguese schools?

Hi Amanna, this issue of parents not wanting their children to be vaccinated has already been analysed by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Google Tips: ECHR vaccination (compulsory or mandatory) childhood

Eg.
https://www.jurist.org/news/2021/04/ech … an-rights/

(...)

In Portugal, and from what I have read, it seems to me that this is a compulsory rule in the public sector. In private schools there is the possibility of refusing students without up to date vaccination, but it is not compulsory, it depends on the inner rules of each school. Why don't you contact some private international schools in Portugal and clarify this?

"As vacinas do Plano Nacional de Vacinação são universais, gratuitas e não obrigatórias."
https://observador.pt/especiais/vacinar … perguntar/

"Escolas privadas podem recusar no próximo ano letivo os alunos sem vacinação em dia"
https://www.dn.pt/sociedade/escolas-par … 30727.html

(...)

@Amanna Hi, did you reach a definitive answer to your question? We are preparing to move from the US to Portugal and our baby daughter is completely unvaccinated. We are ready to pay for a private institution that would accommodate her, if not, we’ll have to go the private tutoring/ homeschooling route. Thanks.

https://www.sunlife.co.uk/over-50-life- … -of-dying/

Funerals are cheaper than in the U.S. so there's a bright side to the much greater incidence of deaths amongst unvaccinated children over ones with sensible, caring parants.

What I can tell you is that our daughters' (7 and 9 at the time) vaccination records from Canada were a required document in order to enrol them in the public school.

I don't know, though, what would have happened if we hadn't had this document, we were just told this is a compulsory document, like the NIF or the passport or the previous school report cards.

You mentioned that your younger daughter didn't have any vaccinations, which means the older one has had hers. Just curious, why vaccinate one and not the other?...

@Fred Hi Fred need to jump in here to say every parent has the right to assess his or her child’s individual needs.   Your comment seems harsh.  Also perhaps you might like to consider spell check 😊👍

Ah, not when parents put their kids in danger. That's child abuse.

@Fred Again Fred that’s just your assumption you do not know the family health history or needs of the child.   Try not to judge and respect the individual right to decision making in accordance with their needs.  Also their right to privacy around health needs rather than to have to share private information with random strangers in an effort to justify something they should not have to justify to strangers.   Child abuse?   Again harsh when you don’t know the circumstances. 

@dwesthead66 "every parent has the right to assess his or her child's individual needs. "

As a former physician, I would say your statement is false. Parents should not be allowed to make this kind of decision regarding vaccines. Firstly, in my 35 years experience, the vast majority of parents are not qualified to decide on this, lacking proper medical education and information (no, Dr. Google doesn't qualify). Secondly, this is not strictly a matter of personal choice, but a matter of public health - it doesn't concern only one's own health, but the health of all around them. Should one live all his/her life in a forest or desert away from humanity, fine, do whatever you want. But if you choose to live among people you have to think of those around you too, and cease to think only about yourself.

I was always amazed at the degree of ignorance of many parents, who seemed completely unaware of things like shingles (in kids lacking varicella vaccine who eventually catch it "naturally" later in life and then get shingles when older with terrible pain that can last for months or years sometimes), infertility (in kids not vaccinated for mumps), encephalitis or pneumonia (in adults not vaccinated against shingles) and I could go on with HPV, polio, etc. I used to ask them, "Do you think your child will thank you if getting any of the problems above because you decided they should not be protected?"

To me it seemed always more of an ideological position of parents than a real concern about child's health.

Thankfully in the west, we have vaccination programs that have nearly eradicated all diseases. I just don't understand why you would not get your child vaccinated?

&ctomac, we have one daughter, not sure where you got the two daughters idea. After doing more investigation in the issue (still need to dig further), it looks like the kids vaccination/immunization is not mandated per se by the state (and if someone has a resource pointing to the contrary, please share), just that public/private schools decide to “enforce” a rule that apparently is not compulsory (can only surmise that it is easier to go with the flow).

Our main question is - are there any international schools in the Lisbon area that accept exceptions (medical, religious), etc. like in the good old home of the brave/land of the free?

wrt to the vaccination discussion, sorry, will not get dragged into it, maybe another day with some vinho verde on the table, it is Christmas Day here..

Will just make one obs., though - the # of immunizations of yesteryear was much smaller, seems like there is an inflation of vaccines lately (and growing…) - I’m sure that being in the business for so long ( and it is one of the biggest businesses out there, oh yeah..) you have a good, based explanation/ understanding of the phenomenon (and obviously not rely on discredited, shallow resources like Google, etc.. = ) )

@SimCityAT , I consider this too general of a statement/question to be able to answer it to both our satisfaction. I will say though that , from my experience, people usually follow these health rabbit holes only when confronted themselves (or a very close relative) with an ailment that forces them to reconsider their previously cheery view of the world (or medical business in this case). And if they are so inclined to exercise their rational skills and/or are disenchanted with the answers they get from the medical business experts, they make decisions accordingly. And in those moments generalities or virtue signaling postures do not help. Don’t wish that on anyone, of course, but as they say, the well-fed do not understand the hungry.

@SimCityAT , I consider this too general of a statement/question to be able to answer it to both our satisfaction. I will say though that , from my experience, people usually follow these health rabbit holes only when confronted themselves (or a very close relative) with an ailment that forces them to reconsider their previously cheery view of the world (or medical business in this case). And if they are so inclined to exercise their rational skills and/or are disenchanted with the answers they get from the medical business experts, they make decisions accordingly. And in those moments generalities or virtue signaling postures do not help. Don’t wish that on anyone, of course, but as they say, the well-fed do not understand the hungry.
-@eyeshakingking1

It is a proven fact!! All I can say is you don't think much about the well-being of your child. Maybe you should stay in the Land of the free, if this is so much of a big deal for you?

@SimCityAT

Hey, hey , hold your horses, will you? I just asked a question on a forum, you did not answer it/try to but instead chose to be righteously indignant, it’s your right, but we are off-rails, in the weeds now..

Firstly, in my 35 years experience, the vast majority of parents are not qualified to decide on this, lacking proper medical education and information (no, Dr. Google doesn't qualify).

Dr. Google is very useful.

He's really good at finding solid medical studies that all agree on one point - un-vaccinated kids die of easily preventable diseases.

Secondly, this is not strictly a matter of personal choice, but a matter of public health - it doesn't concern only one's own health, but the health of all around them. Should one live all his/her life in a forest or desert away from humanity, fine, do whatever you want. But if you choose to live among people you have to think of those around you too, and cease to think only about yourself.

Very well put. I would encourage everyone to read up on the history of smallpox vaccinations.

I was always amazed at the degree of ignorance of many parents, who seemed completely unaware of things like shingles (in kids lacking varicella vaccine who eventually catch it "naturally" later in life and then get shingles when older with terrible pain that can last for months or years sometimes), infertility (in kids not vaccinated for mumps), encephalitis or pneumonia (in adults not vaccinated against shingles) and I could go on with HPV, polio, etc.

I'm not. There are a number of reasons people spout as a their choice not to vaccinate, but I have yet to hear one that makes any sense, but most appear to be based on daft conspiracy theorist things. One guy told me he was anti-MMR because Andrew Wakefield got it right and was destroyed by the vaccine money machine, not because he was an utter moron. I have never been to the US, but there seems to be a thing about the vaccine industry lying in order to generate profits.

I stand open to correction on that.

To me it seemed always more of an ideological position of parents than a real concern about child's health. -@ctomac

As a subtle sort of chap, I would tend to say it's no so much ideology as stupidity.

As my cousin died as of massive brain damage caused by his parent's utter anti-vax idiocy, I believe I have a personal viewpoint many don't have. Of course, he didn't die quickly, his brain got fried by the measles virus and he died after years of being essentially dead, but breathing.

I suppose the bright side is he wouldn't have been aware of his condition - I hope.

I don't believe anyone should assist anti-vaxxers in any way as, apart from encouraging child abuse, it introduces an unnecessary risk to others, that including people who were unable to access vaccinations for legitimate reasons.

However, as has been pointed out, there may could be sound medical reasons, so perhaps the good doctor could details possible medical reasons to refuse all normal child vaccinations, but would still allow safe intercontinental travel for the child.

@SimCityAT ..... And if they are so inclined to exercise their rational skills and/or are disenchanted with the answers they get from the medical business experts, they make decisions accordingly.
-@eyeshakingking1

Helping expats is the business of this forum, but I strongly believe helping dangerous practices goes beyond that.

That in mind, my personal view is assisting anti-vaxxers to expatriate and potentially do harm is not something we shouldn't do.

That said, it looks like the poster is out of luck anyway as

https://eportugal.gov.pt/en/cidadaos-eu … e-rastreio

To enrol in an educational establishment, you must have up to date diphtheria and tetanus vaccinations.

In order to take an exam at an educational establishment, you must also have up to date vaccinations against diphtheria and tetanus.

No school and, after home education, no hope of taking any exams. The kid is getting set up for poverty and a really crap life.

Back to the medical business. As vaccinations appear to be free over there, I assume the poster will get the kid sorted out.

@eyeshakingking1 Sorry, I mixed you up with Amanna. Also because you used the expression "baby daughter" which often indicates the younger of several children.

The "inflation" of vaccines is natural and due to continuous research and medical studies as well as development of the pharmaceutical industry. But it's all - at least as far as I know - based on medical evidence derived from countless studies along the years. For example when I was in med school and for many years after that it was not known that HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer in women; now we know that, therefore a new vaccine - which my daughters already had and/or will have. 10 years ago there was only one varicella shot in Canada, now there are two because they provide better immunity - 90% as opposed to 75% for the single shot. And so on...

Needless to say, no method is infallible, and any method has its occasional backfires, side-effects, failures, etc etc

But to deny a child lifetime protection against various ailments which could so easily be prevented is questionable and difficult to understand, in my (medical) opinion. I know about the zillions of conspiracy theories out there about vaccines among many other things, and the vast majority of them would be laughable if not sad and only prove the total ignorance of those vehiculating them.

I would have one additional comment about the "land of the free": freedom, as I see it, is the liberty to do what you want as long as what you do does not endanger or cause harm to those around you. Not being vaccinated is a potential danger to the vulnerable others around who, for valid reasons, cannot receive vaccines, therefore not being vaccinated is not and expression of freedom but recklessness and total disregard for the community in which one lives.

@Fred "Dr. Google is very useful.

He's really good at finding solid medical studies that all agree on one point - un-vaccinated kids die of easily preventable diseases."

I use Google Scholar, not "Dr. Google" to find medical studies. But one has to know how to interpret medical studies and meta-analyses, that is where medical education helps. Even so many doctors are not trained enough to interpret such studies by themselves or simply do not have the physical time to search, so in most countries nowadays there are guidelines for various issues, which are created by collectives of specialists in interpreting and summarizing cumulative studies and make them digestible for the common physician and updating them regularly as the medical science evolves.

I am not sure where you find the solid medical studies that agree that unvaccinated kids die of the communicable diseases covered by contemporary vaccines - the reality that I know from my years in practice is that most of the kids contracting such diseases are relatively easily treated so that relatively very few kids die because of them. Yes, some children will die because of them, but some children will die of many other non-preventable causes too, so the problem with the communicable diseases in the unvaccinated really is not the risk of dying but the potential for complications in adult life.

@ctomac   So as a front line health worker with 28 years experience a 4 year undergraduate degree and 2 year post grad degre and parent of three I most certainly  am qualified to comment.   My front line experience encompasses the UK, 12 years in New Zealand, 2 years in Spain and now Portugal.   Do your research and no not Dr Google given it’s censored and does not offer critical thinking and open scientific debate as does no social media platform either!!!!   Do NOT assume I speak from no experience your are very wrong.   

Look at CARM, TGA, YELLOW CARD and VAERS.   UK, New Zealand, Australia and US own reporting and data collation platforms where adverse reactions are and should be recorded.   It is widely accepted globally that the above platforms are grossly underused by the medical profession and it’s not mandatory to report.   Therefore it is a natural assumption that current data is also grossly under reported.   Yet there are thousands and thousands of reports of significant adverse reactions and deaths across all age groups in all above countries.

Do your research about COVID and the PCR test.   Remember?  do no harm!!!   I walked away from a 28 year career in front line health due to mandates in New Zealand.   Sold my home and left NZ due to what’s happening there.   

The level of assumptions and judgements made by people who do not know me personally is disappointing but expected.   Our society is now sadly divided into vaxed and unvaxed, judgemental and cruel.    Vaccination is not a one jab fits all every person has different health needs. 

Try not to judge, try to be kinder and try to listen and walk in the other persons shoes.   If you don’t know the person reach out and have open discussion without the attitude of its a public health issue one size fits all approach. 

Hello everyone,

Please note that debate on vaccination is not welcome on the forum and we have already responded to the initial question, hence I am closing this thread.

All the best,

Bhavna

[Topic Closed]