What vaccinations must be taken? | Why you should vaccinate

What vaccinations must be taken?

The permanent vaccination commission (STIKO), which is part of the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, issues the annual vaccination recommendations. Currently, vaccination is not mandatory, but parents can decide individually whether or not to have their children vaccinated. STIKO publishes an annual vaccination calendar, which lists which vaccinations are recommended for which age group.

There are therefore no vaccinations that have to be taken, but there are numerous vaccinations that are strongly recommended. The first recommended vaccination is against rotaviruses, which are often the cause of gastrointestinal infections in children. The first vaccination should be given in the 6th week of life, the other two basic immunizations in month 2 and 3-4.

This is an oral vaccination. The next recommended vaccination is the six- or meanwhile seven-fold vaccination in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 11th -14th month of life. This vaccination contains vaccines against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus (tetanus), polio (polyomyelitis), Haemophilus influenza, hepatitis B and – relatively new – pneumococcus.

Combined vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) is recommended from the 11th month of life and should be repeated between the months 15-23 to complete the basic immunization. Between months 11 and 14 and months 13 and 25 the varicella vaccination is recommended (two vaccinations for basic immunization). Vaccination against meningococcus is recommended from the age of 12 months.

These can cause a potentially life-threatening meningitis. HPV vaccination is recommended from the age of 9 years, it is intended to protect against the human papilloma virus, which can cause cervical cancer. These are the vaccinations recommended by the Robert Koch Institute, some of which must be refreshed at certain intervals.

Between months 11 and 14 and months 13 and 25 the varicella vaccination is recommended (vaccination twice for basic immunization). Vaccination against meningococcus is recommended from the 12th month of life. These can cause a potentially life-threatening meningitis. HPV vaccination is recommended from the age of 9 years, it is intended to protect against the human papilloma virus, which can cause cervical cancer. These are the vaccinations recommended by the Robert Koch Institute, some of which must be refreshed at certain intervals.