Introduction: Vaccination is the most important preventive measure that is extremely important for the general health of the population. Objective: Comparison in vaccination programs and vaccination rates for the Republic of Croatia and the European Union in the period between 2010 and 2018, and to point out the essential need for nurses in the promotion of vaccination. Materials and methods: Statistical data published in the Croatian Health Statistics Yearbook for the period between 2010 and 2018, the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) were used. Data relating to members of the European Union (EU) were downloaded from the World Health Organization (WHO) website in their Statistical Bulletin. Results: According to the statistical data presented in the paper, the Republic of Croatia, like most EU member states, performs compulsory vaccination for the vaccine covered by the work: BCG, DTP, MMR, Pol3, HepB. There are no significant deviations in the level of vaccination rate for the period between 2010 and 2018, except in the case of Malta, which records a very low vaccination rate for BCG vaccine - below 40%. Discussion: The European Union does not have a uniform position on the implementation of the Compulsory Vaccination Program, and it is left to the Member States to choose how to implement it. Nevertheless, overall, the EU has a high vaccination rate (above 80%) as well as the United States African region, confirming the thesis that the full and continuous implementation of the compulsory vaccination program has resulted in a lower number of communicable diseases in the world today. which vaccine exists. Conclusion: The vaccine, as one of the greatest achievements of modern medicine, has significantly changed people's lives as such a historic step forward that exploits infectious diseases in the world.