Every year, the Vaccination Advisory Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) publishes an updated calendar with the recommended vaccinations for children and adolescents.

To do so, it takes into account the studies conducted on the effectiveness of vaccinations and the epidemiology of the illnesses that can be prevented with vaccinations.

The vaccination calendar indicates the ages at which to administer the systematic vaccinations, meaning those that all children in Spain should get (compulsory vaccinations).

Most of the systematic vaccinations are financed by government agencies. These vaccinations are required for all children and are reflected in the vaccination calendar.

Some systematic vaccinations are not financed by the government. As a result, these vaccines are recommended, such as the rotavirus, meningococcal B and the tetravalent anti-meningococcal vaccine for adolescents.

There is another type of vaccine that is not shown on the calendar but that is recommended for at-risk groups, meaning children or adolescents that, because of their characteristics, are more likely to contract the disease or suffer serious consequences if they have it. For example, the flu vaccine is recommended for all children and adolescents who have respiratory problems, as is the hepatitis vaccine for children with chronic liver disease or hemophilia.

Vaccines are a breakthrough in the prevention of contagious diseases. Many illnesses have been eradicated thanks to vaccines. To make them effective, they have to be administered correctly and the relevant guidelines, such as the interval between shots and the age at which they are administered, have to be followed rigorously.

An anti-vaccination movement is now causing some parents not to vaccinate their children. Before making this decision, parents have to realize that not vaccinating their child could pose a significant threat to their health.