The Institute for Medicines and Medical Devices of Montenegro hosted the launch of „A Little Guide to Vaccination for Parents“ (original title: Mala škola vakcinacije za roditelje). Written by Dr Jovan Raičević and published by the Paediatric Association of Montenegro, the book was brought to publication with the support of the Ministry of Health of Montenegro, the Institute for Medicines and Medical Devices of Montenegro and the Municipality of Tivat.
The particular significance of this initiative lies in the shared intention of all the institutions that supported the book’s publication to provide the parents of every newborn child in Montenegro with a free copy of „A Little Guide to Vaccination for Parents“ over the next year, and to make the book available to all paediatricians. To this end, copies of the book are scheduled to be distributed to all maternity units in Montenegro during 2026 and 2027, giving parents access to reliable, easily understandable and scientifically sound information on vaccination from the very first days of their child’s life. In this manner, the book will not merely serve as a valuable educational resource, but will also provide practical support to parents in making informed decisions about their children’s health.
The book launch brought together representatives of healthcare institutions, paediatricians and other healthcare professionals, who highlighted the importance of providing parents with timely, high-quality information and the crucial role of healthcare professionals in building confidence in vaccination. Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of cooperation between institutions and coordinated action to combat misinformation and strengthen public confidence in immunisation.
Opening the event, the Managing Director of the Institute, Assoc. Prof. Dr Snežana Mugoša, emphasised that protecting public health requires not only adherence to the highest professional, scientific and regulatory standards, but also continuous investment in knowledge, education and trust in medicine.
“We firmly believe that knowledge and trust in science and medicine are the foundations of good health. If there is one field of medicine that best demonstrates how profoundly science can change the course of human history, it is vaccination. Vaccines are among the greatest achievements of modern medicine, and their success has been so remarkable that we have almost forgotten the diseases they protect us against. And therein lies one of the greatest paradoxes of modern medicine: vaccines have, in a sense, become victims of their own success. However, the fact that many of these diseases are now rare does not mean that the threat they pose has disappeared. On the contrary, insufficient vaccination coverage in Montenegro serves as a warning of just how important it is to continue building confidence in immunisation. Trust cannot be imposed through authority; it must be built through knowledge, understanding, open dialogue and scientifically sound answers to parents’ questions. This is precisely where we see the particular value of the book we are launching today,” Dr Mugoša stated.
The event was also addressed by Dr Jelica Krsmanović, Director of the Directorate for Public Health and Biomedicine at the Ministry of Health of Montenegro, who stressed that working towards a healthier future for children is a shared responsibility of the healthcare system, the professional community, institutions and society as a whole.
“Through our knowledge, decisions and actions, each of us can help ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow up healthy and protected,” Dr Krsmanović said.
The author, Dr Jovan Raičević, is a paediatrician with many years of experience in hospital and outpatient practice, who is actively engaged in promoting childhood vaccination and serves as a member of the National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group of Montenegro (NITAG). Presenting the second edition of the book, Dr Raičević emphasised that it is dedicated to the children of Montenegro and their future, conveying a powerful message that the future belongs to children, but responsibility for it rests with adults.
“A Little Guide to Vaccination for Parents“ provides simple, clear and accessible answers to the most common questions and concerns parents have about immunisation. The publication covers the importance of vaccination, the diseases that vaccines protect against, vaccine safety and possible adverse events following immunisation. Its primary aim is to provide parents with reliable, clear and scientifically sound information that will help them better understand the importance of immunisation and make informed decisions about protecting their children’s health,” Dr Raičević emphasised.
The significance of the initiative was also discussed by Olivera Mišković Vidojević, Secretary of the Secretariat for Social Affairs of the Municipality of Tivat, and Dr Lidija Poček, President of the Paediatric Association of Montenegro. Veselinka Vukićević, Mr Pharm, Head of Pharmacovigilance Department at CInMED, spoke about vaccine safety and the monitoring of adverse events following immunisation, while Dr Milko Joksimović, an epidemiologist at CInMED, presented the current challenges in implementing Montenegro’s Immunisation Programme and possible approaches to its improvement.
The event concluded with a discussion involving the participants and the author, during which the plan for distributing the book to parents was also presented.
By supporting this initiative, CInMED reaffirms its commitment not only to protecting public health through its regulatory activities, but also to strengthening health literacy and trust in evidence-based medicine, both of which are essential prerequisites for effective disease prevention and the protection of public health.
