title: Vaccination legislation in Latin America and the Caribbean.
abstract: Governments have the authority and responsibility to ensure vaccination for all citizens. The development of vaccination legislation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) parallels the emergence of sustainable, relatively autonomous, and effective national immunization programs. We reviewed vaccination legislation and related legal documents from LAC countries (excluding Canada, Puerto Rico, the United States, and the US Virgin Islands), and described and assessed vaccination legislation provisions. Twenty-seven of the 44 countries and territories in the Region have proposed or enacted vaccination legislation. Provisions vary substantially, but legal frameworks generally protect the sustainability of the immunization program, the individual's right to immunization, and the state's responsibility to provide it as a public good. Of the legislation from countries and territories included in the analysis, 44 per cent protects a budget line for vaccines, 96 per cent mandates immunization, 63 per cent declares immunization a public good, and 78 per cent explicitly defines the national vaccine schedule. We looked for associations between vaccination legislation in LAC and national immunization program performance and financing, and conclude with lessons for governments seeking to craft or enhance vaccination legislation.
authors: PAHO ProVac Initiative.
authors: Silas P
authors: SP
authors: Trumbo
authors: Cara B
authors: CB
authors: Janusz
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Jauregui
authors: Mike
authors: M
authors: McQuestion
authors: Gabriela
authors: G
authors: Felix
authors: Cuauhtémoc
authors: C
authors: Ruiz-Matus
authors: Jon K
authors: JK
authors: Andrus
authors: Ciro De
authors: CD
authors: Quadros
mesh_terms: D017691:Caribbean Region; D005380:Financing, Government / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000458:organization & administration; D007843:Latin America; D028701:Patient Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence