Vaccination

The vaccination recommendations in Germany are based on the Standing Committee on Vaccination STIKO. This commission recommends: Since rubella is a typical childhood disease, the early choice of vaccination is not surprising. The second vaccination is not to be taken as a refresher.

After the first vaccination, about 90-95% of those vaccinated have sufficient protection against rubella.The remaining percent, which have acquired only insufficient protection after the first vaccination, are to be reached by the second vaccination. The second vaccination is therefore intended to compensate for possible vaccination failures. A refresher after several years as known from other vaccinations is not necessary with the rubella vaccination.

If the rubella vaccination was missed in childhood, it can and should be repeated in adulthood. This recommendation applies to all adults with an unclear vaccination status, with none or only one of the two vaccinations. Women of childbearing age should pay particular attention to sufficient protection against rubella, as an infection during pregnancy can have serious consequences for the unborn child.

Adults can fall ill with rubella in the same way as children and thus endanger their environment. Above all unvaccinated children and pregnant women are threatened by this. Even if an adult has experienced an alleged rubella infection in childhood, a booster vaccination should be given.

Since rubella cannot always be clearly distinguished from other childhood diseases, it is not possible to say with absolute certainty who really had rubella. In some cases, even in the case of a real rubella infection, a new infection seems possible at a later date. Unfortunately, there is no possibility to catch up on the vaccination during pregnancy.

The rubella vaccine is a so-called live vaccine and must not be injected during an existing pregnancy. Such a vaccination increases the risk of malformations in the unborn child. Unvaccinated pregnant women should therefore avoid communal facilities or events with a large number of children, which potentially pose a risk of infection.

It is only possible to catch up on the rubella vaccination while nursing.

To carry out the first rubella vaccination already in the first 11 to 14 months of life.
The second rubella vaccination should then follow in the second year of life between the 15th and 23rd month of life.

The rubella vaccine is a live vaccine. It is produced from attenuated rubella viruses.

Usually the first vaccination is a combination of measles and mumps as MMR vaccination. The name of this combination vaccine has a different name depending on the manufacturer. Three typical examples are M-M-RVAXPRO®, MMR-Priorix® or simply Priorix®.

The price for the Priorix® vaccine is around 30€. The vaccination by the doctor will then be charged again separately. In the second vaccination the vaccine against chickenpox (varicella) is added as MMRV vaccination.

This vaccination is then called Priorix Tetra®, for example. The costs for this are about 70€. With one syringe you can protect yourself against several diseases.

Since the rubella vaccination follows the STIKO recommendation, the costs of the vaccination are covered by the health insurance company in almost all cases. If one is exposed to an increased risk of rubella infection due to one’s profession, the employer must bear the costs of the vaccination in accordance with the Ordinance on Occupational Medical Prevention (ArbMedVV). This includes, for example, institutions for the examination, therapy and care of children, but also research institutions and laboratories with the possibility of contact with infected samples.

The titer determination for rubella plays an important role especially in pregnant women: protection can be assumed if the titer is above 1:32. In this case, certain IgG antibodies against rubella are determined in the blood, which allows a statement about the immune system. If the titer is too low, there is the possibility of passive immunization up to the 18th week of pregnancy within five (better three) days after contact with rubella.

Passive immunization means that IgG antibodies are supplied to the body from outside and that it does not have to produce them itself (as would be the case with active immunization). Passive immunization weakens and, in the best case, completely prevents transmission to the child. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to catch up on the vaccination against rubella at the time of pregnancy. Due to the live vaccination there is a risk of malformations.

A high titre speaks thereby for a sufficient protection for the unborn child during pregnancy.
With a low titre, a danger for the unborn child exists if the mother falls ill with rubella.