Vaccinations in Germany

If you are new in Germany, you may be wondering about vaccinations. What is mandated by the government, what is recommended, and what is covered by your insurance policy? Let's explain:

In Germany, the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) prepares vaccination recommendations for children, adolescents, and adults, considering the benefits both to those vaccinated and the population as a whole.

Germany has lately struggled with outbreaks of measles, and therefore on March 1st, 2020, the law was put in place, which mandates vaccinations against measles for kids. You can read more about it in the Measles Protection Act.

To build the immune system early on, the majority of the vaccinations happen in an early stage of life. Since some infectious diseases tend to be much more severe in infants and young children than in older children, STIKO recommends that the first vaccinations be given as early as a few weeks after birth.

Depending on the age of the children and adolescents, STIKO recommends immunization against the following infectious agents and diseases:

Combination vaccines are available for some immunizations, allowing for immunity against several infectious diseases to be achieved by getting a single shot. Those include the STIKO-recommended hexavalent vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), whooping cough (pertussis), and hepatitis B, as well as the combination vaccines against measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), and, if appropriate, chickenpox (MMRV).

For some vaccines, one or two booster doses are recommended during childhood and adolescence:

Combination vaccines are also available for booster shots.

STIKO recommends that, depending on their age, all adults should get vaccinated or boosted regularly as follows:

A certain timing is recommended for vaccinations in pregnancy, to be scheduled in consultation with the doctor.

Individual or several vaccinations are recommended for certain groups of persons with a higher risk of infection, disease, or complications, as well as to protect others. An example is the vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) that is recommended in certain regions of Germany (map of TBE risk areas, German) or vaccination against the Mpox virus (monkeypox) for persons at a higher risk of exposure and infection.

Vaccinations can also be recommended for occupational reasons to address a higher occupational risk and/or to protect others while working.

All the vaccinations recommended by STIKO are paid by all the public health insurers.

For persons with private health insurance, cost coverage of immunizations is regulated in their insurer’s contractual terms, but in general, each comprehensive private health policy in Germany should provide at least equal coverage when it comes to vaccinations.

Short-term private/incoming policies may not provide the same level of coverage, and it would be best to consult your provider in that case.

If you are at higher risk due to your profession, your employer might be required to pay for certain vaccinations in case they are not on the STIKO list.

If you are arriving in Germany, you might be required to get vaccinated, depending on the country you are coming from. The German embassy can tell you more about it during the visa process.

If you are traveling abroad and certain vaccinations are mandatory or there is an increased risk of certain diseases, you can ask your health insurance company or your employer whether they will pay for the necessary vaccinations (Reiseimpfungen). For example, you may be entitled to travel vaccinations if you need to stay abroad for work or education. If you are traveling for personal reasons, it depends on your health insurance provider whether they will cover the cost of vaccinations. Best to talk to your insurer.