Germany: Recommended vaccinations
  General recommendation
  Recommendation for specific groups only
  Catch-up (e.g. if previous doses missed)
 
Vaccination not funded by the National Health system
 
Mandatory vaccination
WeeksMonthsYears
62346111214151623245-6912131415-161718
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)1
COVID-194
rotavirus infection
ROTA
ROTA
ROTA5
diphtheria2
D
D
D
D
d
d
d
d6
tetanus2
TT
TT
TT
TT
TT
TT
TT
TT6
pertussis2
acP
acP
acP
acP
acp
acp
acp
acp7
poliomyelitis2
IPV
IPV8
IPV
IPV
IPV
IPV
IPV9
Haemophilus influenzae type b infection2
Hib
Hib8
Hib
Hib
Hib10
hepatitis B2
HepB
HepB8
HepB
HepB
HepB
pneumococcal disease2
PCV13 or PCV15
PCV13 or PCV15
PCV13 or PCV15
PCV13 or PCV1510
PCV20
meningococcal disease
MenB11
MenB11
MenB11
MCV411
MCV411
measles3
MEAS12
MEAS
MEAS
MEAS
MEAS13
mumps
MUMPS14
MUMPS
MUMPS
MUMPS
rubella
RUBE14
RUBE
RUBE
RUBE
varicella
VAR
VAR
VAR
VAR
human papillomavirus infection
HPV (F/M)15
HPV (F/M)16
influenza
IIV3/LAIV17
IIV317
herpes zoster
ZOS18

Version:


Footnotes:

  1. https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Infekt/Impfen/ImpfungenAZ/COVID-19/Impfempfehlung-Zusfassung.html
  2. Premature infants receive an additional vaccine dose at the age of 3 months; in total they receive 4 doses
  3. For more information on specific population groups where measles vaccination is mandatory please refer to https://www.masernschutz.de/themen/rechtliche-aspekte.html
  4. Annual vaccination recommended for persons aged 60 years and older and for persons 6 months and older with increased health risk for a severe course of COVID-19 due to an underlying disease.
  5. 3rd dose only for pentavalent rotavirus vaccines
  6. Booster doses every 10 years, catch-up for those unvaccinated. The first due Td 10-yearly booster dose should be with a Tdacp vaccine. Subsequent booster doses are to be done with Td vaccines.
  7. The first due Td 10-yearly booster dose should be with a Tdacp vaccine. Subsequent booster doses are to be done with Td vaccines. Vaccination offered to pregnant women at the beginning of 3rd trimester. If there is an increased probability of premature birth, vaccination should be brought forward to the 2nd trimester. More information available at: RKI - Vaccinations A - Z - Scientific justification for recommending pertussis vaccination with a Tdap combination vaccine in pregnancy
  8. Optional dose if monovalent and other combination vaccines are used
  9. Catch-up for those unvaccinated
  10. Number of doses necessary varies according to age
  11. For MenB, according to the product information, the vaccination series consists of 3 vaccine doses for children aged 2–23 months and 2 vaccine doses for children aged 24 months and older. For MenACWY, recommendation in October 2025 to vaccinate at age 12-14 (up until age 24) and recommendation against MenC vaccination for infants and small children
  12. Vaccination from 9 months in specific circumstances. In this case, the second dose should be given as early as possible in the second year of life. The 'Measles Protection Act’ was approved in Germany and became effective on March 1st, 2020. It mandates measles vaccination for all children at one year and older that attend a childcare facility.
  13. One dose of measles for those aged 18 years and older and born after 1970 with no vaccination or uncertain vaccination history or only one vaccination during childhood
  14. Vaccination from 9 months in specific circumstances. In this case, the second dose should be given as early as possible in the second year of life.
  15. 2 or 9-valent. Gender-neutral (boys and girls) vaccination offered since 2018. Two-dose schedule at 0 and 6 months (if the interval between doses is <6 months, a third dose is recommended).
  16. 2 or 9 valent. Catch up in 15-17 years with a three-dose schedule.
  17. Annual vaccination in autumn/winter with inactivated high-dose or MF-59 adjuvanted influenza vaccines recommended for persons aged 60 years and older. Annual vaccination with inactivated vaccine recommended for persons 6 months and older with one or more medical condition or underlying disease. Children and adolescents aged 2-17 years can be vaccinated with live attenuated vaccine.
  18. 2 doses with an interval of 2 to 6 months respectively between doses; for individuals aged 18-59 years only indicated for persons with certain medical condition or underlying disease associated with increased risk of herpes zoster. Vaccination with the inactivated herpes zoster subunit vaccine. See recommendation background paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00103-019-02882-5


More information available at:
https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Kommissionen/STIKO/Empfehlungen/Impfempfehlungen_node.html



The German immunisation calendars in 16 foreign languages can be found here:
http://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Infekt/Impfen/Materialien/Impfkalender_mehrsprachig_Uebersicht_tab.html?nn=2709264

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Recommendation for children with underlying medical conditions:
Vaccination recommendations for children with underlying medical conditions or specific health risks currently exist for the following diseases: Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis A and B, influenza, meningococcal infections (groups A, C, W135, Y), and pneumococcal diseases. Specifics of those recommendations can be found in English at: www.stiko.de/en


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January 2025: Introduction of the MenB vaccine.

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Sept. 2023: Pneumococcal vaccination: recommendation change for adults. see for more details: https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Infekt/EpidBull/Archiv/2023/Ausgaben/39_23.pdf?__blob=publicationFile

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01 March 2021: new measles mandatory vaccination requirements for specific population groups
https://www.masernschutz.de/themen/rechtliche-aspekte.html


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22 August 2019: Launch of the 2019/2020 vaccination schedule

change include updated recommendation for Herpes-Zoster with an inactivated vaccine. see for more info: https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Infekt/EpidBull/Archiv/2018/Ausgaben/50_18.pdf%3F__blob%3DpublicationFile

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31 August 2017: Publication of the 2017/2018 vaccination schedule
Changes include:
- A decision NOT to implement routine ZOSTER vaccination (immunisation is to be decided on a case-by-case basis)
- A revised policy for FLU vaccination of children aged 2-17 years
- For TETANUS post-exposure prophylaxis - ONLY recommended if a last dose was given more than 10 years ago. This applies to limited, clean wounds
- For HepA/HepB vaccination ; revision of the groups where vaccination is recommended

For more information, please refer to https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Infekt/EpidBull/Archiv/2017/Ausgaben/35_17.pdf?__blob=publicationFile
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Date of last update: 11 February 2026