'Vaccination in Germany: STIKO Schedule, Measles, Impfpass, and Vaccines
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In Germany, most vaccines are not compulsory, but the public healthcare system relies heavily on STIKO recommendations, issued by the Standing Committee on Vaccination at the Robert Koch Institute. For families moving to Germany, three things matter most: compare old vaccination records, understand the German Impfkalender, and separately check the measles protection requirement for daycare, school, and certain professions.
How STIKO recommendations work
STIKO updates its recommendations every year for standard, additional, and risk-based vaccinations. The schedule specifies the ages, intervals between doses, and the situations in which vaccination is needed not for everyone, but only for specific groups: older people, pregnant women, patients with chronic illnesses, workers in certain professions, or travelers.
Basic recommendations for children and adolescents usually include vaccines against:
- tetanus, Tetanus;
- diphtheria, Diphtherie;
- whooping cough, Pertussis / Keuchhusten;
- Haemophilus influenzae type b, Hib;
- polio, Poliomyelitis;
- hepatitis B, Hepatitis B;
- pneumococcal infection, Pneumokokken;
- rotavirus, Rotavirus;
- meningococci, including separate recommendations for specific serogroups;
- measles, mumps, and rubella, Masern, Mumps, Röteln, usually as MMR;
- chickenpox, Varizellen / Windpocken;
- HPV, Humane Papillomviren / HPV;
- COVID-19 and other infections for specific age or risk groups.
In 2026, the STIKO schedule also includes recommendations for RSV in infants and older adults, while separate indications for COVID-19, pneumococci, influenza, shingles, FSME, and Mpox depend on age, health status, profession, and contacts. That is why it is better not to copy a table from an old article into your personal plan without checking with a doctor.
What a family should check after moving
The first practical step is to gather all vaccination records: a paper certificate, the child’s medical file, extracts, and data from electronic systems in your home country. At a doctor’s appointment in Germany, a pediatrician or Hausarzt will compare the records with the German schedule and suggest catch-up vaccination if doses are missing or the status is unclear.
It is especially important to check:
- whether there are two MMR doses or other confirmed immunity to measles;
- when the last booster against tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough was given;
- whether the childhood series against polio, Hib, hepatitis B, and pneumococci has been completed;
- whether an adolescent needs HPV vaccination;
- whether the family belongs to a risk group for influenza, COVID-19, RSV, pneumococci, or shingles;
- whether you live in or often spend time in an FSME risk area.
If the documents are in another language, a translation of vaccine names can help, but the format requirements depend on the doctor, school, daycare, and federal state. In some places the original certificate is enough; elsewhere they may ask for a German explanation or a certified translation. If in doubt, clarify the requirements with the specific institution in advance.
Vaccines for children: a short overview of the schedule
Childhood vaccination in Germany is tied to preventive U-Untersuchungen checkups and visits to the pediatrician. The first recommendations begin in the first weeks of life: rotavirus vaccination starts at around 6 weeks, and many basic vaccines are scheduled for the first months.
In simplified form, the schedule looks like this:
| Age | What is usually checked |
|---|---|
| first weeks and months | RSV prevention according to the schedule’s indications, rotavirus, the start of the basic series against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Hib, polio, hepatitis B, pneumococci, and meningococci according to the current STIKO schedule |
| 11-15 months | completion of part of the basic series, the first MMR vaccination and chickenpox vaccination, meningococcal vaccines according to the schedule |
| 15-23 months | second doses of MMR and chickenpox, closing missed gaps |
| 5-6 years | booster against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough |
| 9-14 years | HPV, usually two doses if started on time; catch-up into adolescence as recommended by the doctor |
| 9-16 years | booster against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, and polio, plus a check for missed childhood vaccines |
The exact schedule depends on the child’s age, previous doses, the vaccine used, the intervals, and medical contraindications. If a child was not vaccinated according to the German schedule from birth, the doctor does not automatically start everything “from scratch,” but evaluates the existing records and closes the gaps.
Vaccines for adults
Adults in Germany are usually reminded to get booster shots against tetanus and diphtheria every 10 years. STIKO recommends that one of these boosters also include whooping cough. Polio, hepatitis B, and other vaccines are checked based on vaccination history, profession, travel, and risks.
For adults born after 1970, measles is important: if the status is unclear, if there were no vaccinations, or if there was only one dose in childhood, a doctor may recommend MMR. This is especially important for people who work or plan to work in childcare, medical, and other Gemeinschaftseinrichtungen.
In 2026, COVID-19 should not be described as a “pandemic mandatory vaccine.” For many adults, basic immune protection matters, while annual boosters are usually recommended for older people and risk groups. It is best to clarify the exact schedule with your Hausarzt because recommendations change faster than evergreen articles.
Vaccines for older people and risk groups
After age 60 and with certain chronic illnesses, a doctor will usually check vaccines against influenza, COVID-19, pneumococci, and shingles. Current recommendations for RSV include age-based and risk-based criteria. Pregnant women, people with immunodeficiency, diabetes, chronic heart or lung disease, and healthcare workers often need separate recommendations.
You should not choose a vaccine on your own based only on age. In Germany, the decision is usually linked to the STIKO schedule, medical history, occupational risks, and what the health insurance fund covers.
Is vaccination mandatory in Germany
There is no general obligation to get all vaccines in Germany. But since 2020, the Masernschutz law has applied: before attending daycare, school, and other Gemeinschaftseinrichtungen, you must prove protection against measles or a medical contraindication. The requirement also applies to many employees of such institutions, medical staff, and people housed in refugee or asylum-seeker accommodation if they were born after 1970.
Proof is usually provided through an entry in the Impfpass, a medical certificate of past measles infection, laboratory confirmation of immunity, or a certificate of contraindication. For schoolchildren, compulsory schooling remains a separate issue, but the absence of proof can lead to notification of the Gesundheitsamt and administrative consequences.
Daycare, school, and vaccines
For daycare and school, what is usually requested is proof of measles protection rather than a complete list of all vaccinations. At the same time, the institution itself may additionally ask to see the Impfpass so that a doctor or the institution can see which vaccines have already been given.
If the family has just moved, it is better not to wait until the last week before enrollment. Make an appointment with a pediatrician, bring the old documents, ask to have the data transferred into a German Impfpass, and check which certificates the specific daycare center or school accepts.
FSME: vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis
FSME stands for Frühsommer-Meningoenzephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis. The risk is unevenly distributed across Germany: it is checked especially carefully in the southern federal states and in officially designated Risikogebiete. Vaccination against FSME is not a general mandatory vaccine, but it is recommended for people who live, work, or often spend time outdoors in risk areas.
The vaccine does not protect against Lyme disease, so protection against tick bites is still necessary: closed clothing, checking the skin after walks, removing a tick quickly, and seeing a doctor if symptoms appear.
The blue zones are regions in Germany where vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis is recommended.
How vaccination is carried out
Vaccines for children are given by a pediatrician; for adults, by a Hausarzt, general practitioner, or specialist. Before vaccination, the doctor asks about fever, allergies, chronic illnesses, pregnancy, past reactions to vaccines, and current medications. A mild runny nose alone is not always a reason to postpone a vaccine, but the doctor makes the decision.
Mass vaccination is usually not organized in daycare centers and schools in the way it is in some countries. However, employers sometimes offer seasonal influenza vaccination or other vaccines through a Betriebsarzt.
Impfpass and Gelbes Heft
After vaccination, the entry is made in the vaccination record: Impfpass, Impfausweis, or Impfbuch. It records the date, vaccine, batch, signature, and doctor’s stamp. This document is worth bringing to every vaccination-related appointment.
Impfpass is the vaccination passport in Germany.
For children, the Gelbes Heft is also kept in parallel, the yellow booklet for preventive U1-U9 examinations. It is not a replacement for the Impfpass but a separate document about scheduled checkups. It may be requested when enrolling in daycare or school, but for vaccinations the main document remains the Impfpass or a medical certificate.
Who pays for vaccines
Statutory health insurance usually covers vaccines that are included in the G-BA Schutzimpfungs-Richtlinie and are based on STIKO recommendations. This applies to standard vaccines and many indication-based vaccines.
If the risk is related to work, the employer or Berufsgenossenschaft sometimes covers the cost. If a vaccine is needed for a business trip, it is often covered by health insurance or by the employer. For private travel, the rules vary: each health insurance fund decides which Reiseimpfungen it reimburses beyond the mandatory minimum.
Before traveling to a country with special requirements, check with your Krankenkasse which vaccines are required and what will be paid for. For private health insurance, the conditions depend on the tariff.
Vaccination of immigrants
For foreigners who move to Germany permanently, the vaccination issue most often comes up because of daycare, school, Ausbildung, work in healthcare, or social institutions. Bring your old medical file and vaccination certificate with you. If the records are incomplete, the doctor may suggest an antibody test or repeat vaccination, but this is decided individually.
Useful German words for an appointment:
| Russian | German |
|---|---|
| vaccination | die Impfung |
| vaccine | der Impfstoff |
| vaccination passport | der Impfpass / der Impfausweis |
| previous vaccinations | vorherige Impfungen |
| booster vaccination | die Auffrischimpfung |
| side effects | Nebenwirkungen |
| contraindication | Kontraindikation |
| consent to vaccination | die Einverständniserklärung |
| health insurance fund | die Krankenkasse |
| high temperature | das Fieber |
| pregnancy | die Schwangerschaft |
| next vaccination date | nächster Impftermin |
Where to check the current schedule
For your personal plan, use official sources rather than old tables from blogs:
- Robert Koch Institute: STIKO recommendations and the Impfkalender;
- G-BA: the Schutzimpfungs-Richtlinie, which determines entitlement to payment through GKV;
- infektionsschutz.de and impfen-info.de: clear materials for patients;
- your Krankenkasse website: payment conditions for additional and travel vaccines.
If the issue involves a child, pregnancy, a chronic illness, immunodeficiency, a profession with infection risk, or disputed documents after moving, it is safer to decide the matter with a doctor rather than relying on a general article.
