In Germany, there are vaccination recommendations for children to protect them from various diseases. These recommendations are published by the Standing Commission on Vaccination (STIKO). There is also a vaccination calendar there that parents can use to get an overview of when their children should be vaccinated against which diseases. The recommended vaccinations include measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough and tetanus. With one exception, these are recommendations: Only for measles is there a vaccination requirement for children older than one year who go to kindergarten, daycare or later to school. Vaccinations are paid for by the statutory health insurance funds. However, vaccinations that are necessary for long-distance travel, for example, against yellow fever, must be paid for by the child. The STIKO is an independent, honorary committee of experts that develops vaccination recommendations for the population in Germany.
Vaccinations can prevent severe courses of disease and contain the spread of infections. Those who are vaccinated not only protect themselves, but also the people around them, writes the Robert Koch Institute, a federal institute within the Federal Ministry of Health. The Standing Commission on Vaccination, for example, recommends that the basic immunization of babies and toddlers be completed by the age of 15 months. There has been a lot of discussion about vaccinations, and not just since Corona. If parents have any doubts, they should therefore discuss any open questions with their family doctor or pediatrician.
The detailed recommendations—also for adolescents and adults—can be found on the website of the Robert Koch Institute:
https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Kommissionen/STIKO/Empfehlungen/Impfempfehlungen_node.html
The vaccination calendar is also translated into 20 languages, including Arabic, Dari, Farsi and Ukrainian.
An easy-to-understand overview can also be found on the website of the Federal Center for Health Education
https://www.impfen-info.de/impfempfehlungen/fuer-kinder-0-12-jahre/
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Eine befüllte Spritze. Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL / Mostafa Elyasian.
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