Vaccinations

The "real flu", also known as influenza, is an acute, often feverish illness of the respiratory tract that occurs more frequently in the winter months. It is a serious and potentially life-threatening illness. Annual vaccination is necessary as flu viruses are constantly changing.

In Baden-Württemberg, the influenza vaccination has been recommended for all age groups since 2015, but especially for people over 60 years of age, people with previous illnesses, pregnant women from the second trimester of pregnancy and people who have a lot of contact with other people. The vaccination is also very useful for people who care for or look after the aforementioned groups of people. For certain people, especially those over 60, a so-called high-dose vaccine should be used in order to achieve the best possible protection.

People over the age of 60 should definitely also consider the pneumococcal vaccination: As a rule, a single vaccination with the conjugate vaccine PCV20 is recommended here. Other vaccines are also available for special constellations and for other groups of people. Pneumococci are bacterial pathogens that cause pneumonia, but can also lead to severe courses of the disease with high fever, blood poisoning and meningitis.

The respiratory syncytial virus (RS virus) also affects the respiratory tract. People aged 75 and over or people with a severe form of underlying heart or lung disease or immunodeficiency are particularly at risk of contracting RSV. The STIKO recommends a single RSV vaccination as the standard vaccination for all people aged 75 and over. For people who have certain severe forms of an underlying disease or live in a care facility, the RSV vaccination is recommended from the age of 60.

However, infants can also develop severe cases of RSV infection. To protect infants, RSV prophylaxis is recommended in the fall before the start of the cold season. The protective effect of this prophylaxis begins immediately after administration and can prevent severe courses of the disease in particular. Especially in the first year of life, when the airways are narrower than in older children and swell more easily, hospital admissions can be reduced.

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is also still present in Germany and can spread more easily among the population again in the fall and winter. The STIKO recommends that all healthy people aged 18 to 59 (including pregnant women from the 2nd trimester of pregnancy) receive a basic immunization plus a booster vaccination to maintain basic immunity. An annual booster (as for influenza) is not currently recommended for this group of people.

People aged 60 and over and people with underlying illnesses who have an increased risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19, as well as people in healthcare and care facilities, should also receive annual booster vaccinations. These should take place in the fall. The booster vaccination can be dispensed with if the immune system is healthy and there has been an infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus during the year.

In addition to genital warts, the human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical cancer in particular, but also penile, anal, oropharyngeal and other types of cancer. Good protection is therefore also very important for boys and men, both for their own well-being and for the well-being of others.

Vaccination rates for the HPV vaccine are currently still very low, although the STIKO recommends it for children aged 9 and over of all genders.

Weeks-long, violent coughing attacks, shortness of breath, a glassy phlegm, fever and exhaustion are typical signs of whooping cough. In adults, this can lead to inflammation of the lungs or middle ear, and brain damage is also possible. Adults can also become carriers of the disease. Whooping cough can be life-threatening for infants. Vaccination is therefore not only advisable for babies, but also for parents and caregivers.

Measles is highly contagious. It temporarily weakens the immune system and can be followed by middle ear infections and pneumonia. In severe cases, the virus inflames the brain. This can lead to learning difficulties or intellectual impairment. More than 300,000 people worldwide still die from measles every year. The Standing Vaccination Commission recommends two vaccinations against measles for all children.

The mumps virus is contagious and mainly affects the salivary glands. Cold symptoms are therefore often followed by swelling of the cheeks. The thyroid and pancreas, ovaries and testicles can also be affected. The loss of hearing
hearing loss and - in boys and men - reduced fertility are further possible consequences. The STIKO therefore recommends that all children be vaccinated against mumps.

Fever, red skin spots and swelling of the lymph nodes are among the harmless consequences of the rubella virus. Infections during pregnancy are dangerous because they can harm the unborn child and can lead to heart defects, visual and hearing damage, for example.

Polio viruses cause polio: the pathogens attack the muscle-controlling nerve cells of the spinal cord, which can lead to permanent paralysis and even death. Vaccination protection should therefore not only be checked when traveling abroad, but in general to prevent the disease from recurring in Germany.

Still widespread and highly contagious: chickenpox (varicella) affects schoolchildren and adults in particular for longer and more severely. Infection during pregnancy can cause malformations in the unborn child, and infection directly after birth is often life-threatening. The usually very painful "shingles" can occur as a secondary disease, and skin scars can also remain.

Meningococcal bacteria are found worldwide. They inflame the meninges and can cause blood poisoning, which is often fatal. The vaccines currently in use provide reliable protection against the types of meningococcus that frequently occur in Europe.

Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood and sex and inflames the liver: signs of the disease are nausea, abdominal pain, fever and vomiting, later the skin and eyes turn yellow. In ten percent of those infected, hepatitis B does not heal. The consequences - often life-threatening - are liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer.