Vaccinations

Please contact your GP or, if necessary, another vaccination centre, such as a pharmacy. They will provide information about the vaccination and administer it.

Vaccinations at specific stages of life:

• Vaccinations for infants, children and adolescents: The vaccinations recommended for infants, children and adolescents by the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) can be found in its annual recommendations. The vaccination schedule for infants, children and adolescents forms part of these recommendations and provides a quick overview of the recommended vaccinations for each age group.
• Vaccinations for at-risk groups: Certain pre-existing conditions or advanced age can increase the risk of severe disease progression. Therefore, additional vaccinations – for example, against pneumococci or herpes zoster – are recommended for these at-risk groups. Your doctor can advise you on this.
• Vaccinations for workers: The company doctor will provide information on vaccinations required due to an increased occupational risk – for example, following a risk assessment in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Biological Agents Ordinance or the Ordinance on Occupational Health Care (ArbMedVV) – or to protect third parties in the course of work.
• Vaccinations during pregnancy: Pregnancy is not a contraindication for inactivated vaccines, such as those against influenza, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, and hepatitis A and B. Vaccination against influenza and whooping cough is strongly recommended for pregnant women. Vaccinations with live vaccines, such as those against rubella, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) or varicella, should generally not be administered during pregnancy.

Vaccinations received are recorded in a yellow vaccination card. You can obtain this card from your GP.

If you have lost your vaccination card, your GP will issue you with a new one. Previous vaccinations may only be entered in it by the doctor who administered the vaccination at the time.

Please note: Vaccinations are also documented in your medical records, which must be kept at your GP’s surgery. Medical records are kept for at least ten years.

Any additional entries in your vaccination record – that is, the transfer of information, for example from an old vaccination record or from a vaccination certificate issued as a replacement – may be made by any doctor or pharmacist, as well as by the public health authority.