Booster vaccinations: when are they necessary?
Most of the vaccinations recommended by the Standing Vaccination Committee (STIKO) of the Robert Koch Institute should be carried out in the first two years of your child’s life. However, many vaccinations require a booster in order to maintain protection against the various diseases. Here you can find out which vaccination needs a refresher and when.
Booster shots – a reminder for the immune system
Some vaccinations, such as the MMR vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella , have a lifelong effect after a single, complete basic immunization, preferably in childhood. Other vaccinations, on the other hand, have to be refreshed once or repeatedly in order to continue to provide reliable protection against infectious diseases. The booster of a vaccination thus represents a kind of reminder for the body against which pathogens it has already learned to defend itself.
For which vaccination is a booster recommended?
The vaccinations against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough are part of the six -fold vaccination and the primary immunization should ideally be completed by the beginning of the second year of life.
- Between the ages of 6 and 7, ideally before your child starts school, an initial booster vaccination against the three pathogens is recommended.
- Between the ages of 10 and 18 a further refresher course is planned.
- Thereafter, the vaccine, for which a triple vaccine is available, should be boosted at regular intervals of ten years to ensure continued protection.
The vaccination against poliomyelitis, also known as polio, also needs a booster, albeit a one-off. This should take place between the ages of 10 and 18.
It is important not to go below the recommended minimum interval between each dose of vaccination as this could reduce the effectiveness of the vaccination.
For which vaccination do you need a booster?
The so-called indication vaccinations are not generally recommended by the Standing Vaccination Committee (STIKO) of the Robert Koch Institute. They are only appropriate if people are exposed to a particular risk of contagion or infection.
- Anyone who lives in a risk area should be regularly vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) to protect themselves against it. A refresher of the TBE vaccination is possible every three to five years.
- People who are particularly at risk of becoming infected with rabies, such as veterinarians or forest rangers, should ensure that they are always well protected against the pathogen with a rabies vaccination . A booster vaccination should therefore be considered every two to five years, in consultation with the doctor treating you.
The vaccinations against pneumococci and flu , the so-called influenza, do not actually need to be refreshed. However, the STIKO recommends regular renewal of vaccination protection from the age of 60. According to the recommendation, vaccination against pneumococci should be carried out every six years, and against influenza even annually, since the pathogens are subject to strong genetic changes.
Catch up on missing vaccinations
Some vaccinations can be made up for at a later date, provided they have not been carried out according to the STIKO vaccination calendar . However, catch-up vaccinations are not to be equated with the booster of a vaccination, since the former catches up on the basic immunization against the respective infectious disease and does not refresh the vaccination protection.
One of the possible catch-up vaccinations is, for example, the vaccination against hepatitis B, which can be caught up to the end of the 18th year of life. Vaccination against human papilloma virus (HPV) , which is recommended by STIKO for girls up to the age of 18, is also possible at a later date .
Especially during or before pregnancy, women are urgently recommended to catch up on any missing basic immunizations against the diseases recommended by the STIKO for children, such as the chickenpox vaccination . You can read more about vaccinations during pregnancy in another article.
The vaccination card gives a precise overview of when you or your child were last vaccinated against a specific infectious disease. If you are unsure whether a booster vaccination is necessary, discuss this with the doctor treating you, he will be sure to answer your questions and, if necessary, help you to complete the vaccination protection.