Vaccination schedule 2026: doctors raise serious reservations about the new PSO
According to the website prawo.pl, although the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS) published the vaccination program (PSO) for 2026 on time, the document contains errors and ambiguities that have already raised objections from the medical community, from provisions regarding children to imprecise regulations for pregnant women.
According to a document published by the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS), the 2026 vaccination program includes a list of mandatory and recommended vaccinations and guidelines for their implementation. For children and adolescents, highly combined vaccines (e.g., DTaP-IPV-Hib, DTaP-IPV-Hib-HBV) are available in 3+1 and 2+1 schedules. The document also covers recommended vaccinations for adults, pregnant women, healthcare professionals, and other employee groups.
Although the publication was made on time (October 31st), doctors point out that the program appeared to have been developed in a hurry. According to the doctors interviewed by the portal, improvements are necessary.
One of the most criticized provisions in PSO 2026 concerns the issue of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccination for pregnant women. One section of the document states that vaccination is recommended "between the 27th and 36th weeks of pregnancy," which is consistent with the summary of product characteristics . However, a special table for pregnant women states that vaccination can be administered "throughout pregnancy." As a pediatrician explains in an interview with praw.pl:
This is clearly a mistake, I think simply based on the Czech error, because the vaccinations mentioned above for Covid-19 and influenza can actually be administered throughout pregnancy. However, this is not the case with RSV, as it is not in line with the manufacturer's recommendations and makes absolutely no sense. Why would a pregnant woman need an RSV vaccine in the first trimester when her antibody levels will drop significantly by the third trimester, and the baby won't benefit as much as from a third-trimester vaccination?
Another concern concerns childhood vaccinations. PSO 2026 stipulates that in the case of the "6-in-1" vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, doctors will be able to decide whether to use a three- or four-dose regimen. As one doctor quoted by prawo.pl warns:
"This is a very strange structure, because if we look at vaccinations that are provided with free vaccines, meaning those purchased by the sanitary-epidemiological station, all children are still required to be vaccinated with a four-dose regimen. And suddenly, in the calendar, among the recommended vaccinations, we have a choice, one way or another. However, we are not given any criteria that the doctor should use when making a decision," the doctor points out.
Doctors fear that this wide discretion may affect the effectiveness of pertussis vaccination, especially since Poland is still the only country in Europe that uses the whole-cell vaccine as part of a free program, while other countries use the acellular version.
PSO 2026 maintains the whole-cell pertussis vaccine in the free vaccination program , meaning that the availability of the acellular vaccine has not yet been ensured for all children in Poland. This isn't just about reducing the number of injections, but also about the fact that non-whole-cell vaccines have a better safety profile. Experts remind that in many cases, parents must cover the cost of the vaccine themselves if they want to use the newer solution.
A few days before the publication of the 2026 National Health Fund (PSO), the Ministry of Health published a draft regulation amending mandatory vaccination schedules. This document remained under public consultation, while the calendar was published by the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS) as a press release. Sources emphasize the lack of clarity regarding the consistency of both documents and the explanation of any discrepancies.
See also:
What's next for PSO? 2026?
The new 2026 vaccination schedule was intended as a tool for planning preventive healthcare. However, even at the time of publication, it raised significant concerns. Physicians reported not only formal errors but also substantive and practical concerns. The lack of precise provisions, discrepancies in timing, and the retention of older vaccination technologies in the program call into question the effectiveness and safety of its implementation in practice.
Patients, doctors and healthcare administration should closely monitor subsequent versions of PSO 2026 and submit comments to ensure the program operates transparently and effectively.
Source: prawo.pl/DD Updated: 10/11/2025 18:43
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