The Hungarian National Immunization Program (NIP) has been in place since the early 1950s, starting with locally manufactured diphtheria-whole cell pertussis-tetanus (DwPT), oral polio and BCG vaccines. As in several other post-communist countries, it is and has been financed from the national budget and is compulsory for all children. Exemptions are only granted for medical reasons. The author describes the development of the NIP and its history...