[Committee for Immunization Programme and Registry and changes in the National Immunization Programme in Spain]

The Committee for Immunization Programme and Registry (Ponencia de Programa y Registro de Vacunaciones) was created in 1991 to advise the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System on the situation of vaccine preventable diseases and the establishment and evaluation of measures for their prevention and control. Among other functions, this Committee evaluates the immunization programmes taking into account the scientific evidence and the epidemiological situation. In this way the Committee advises decision makers on the Public Health Commission of the Interterritorial Council. Any change in the National Immunization Programme, since the first one published in 1996 by the Interterritorial Council to the current Immunization Programme throughout life, has been advised from the technical and scientific point of view by this Committee. Taking into account both the work developed and the methodology used for developing the technical advice, the Committee for Immunization Programme and Registry is considered the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group for Spain. This paper reviews the functions and work developed by the Committee for Immunization Programme and Registry, the changes conducted in the National Immunization Programme under its advice and the current challenges.