What you need to know about getting vaccinated in Germany this winter

Germany is preparing for a winter in which influenza, Covid-19 and RSV are all expected to circulate. Vaccination matters because these infections can cause more serious illness in people at higher risk. The article gives the most detailed advice about flu vaccination.

Influenza vaccines target seasonal flu, including strains currently circulating internationally. Covid-19 vaccines target coronavirus infection and boosters help maintain protection over time. RSV vaccines or immunisations target respiratory syncytial virus, but the supplied article does not explain Germany’s RSV recommendations or eligibility groups.

Experts cannot reliably predict how severe Germany’s flu season will be. An earlier US flu season and a newly identified H1N1 mutation offer clues, but not firm forecasts. The article says influenza vaccines continue to provide good protection against internationally circulating strains. It also stresses that Covid-19 has not disappeared, although its detailed booster guidance is missing from the supplied text.

STIKO stands for Germany’s Standing Committee on Vaccination. It issues vaccination recommendations, including annual flu advice. Its approach prioritises people whose age, health, living situation or work makes severe illness or complications more likely.

For flu, STIKO recommends vaccination for everyone aged 60 and over, pregnant women from the second trimester, people with chronic conditions, care-home residents, healthcare workers and those who regularly care for vulnerable people. It also includes people living with someone at high risk and certain occupational groups with extensive public or animal contact.

The Robert Koch Institute explains that these recommendations identify higher-risk groups rather than banning vaccination for others. A healthy adult under 60 may still choose a flu shot. The article says this can reduce illness, missed work and transmission, even when serious complications are unlikely.

For influenza, Germany’s strongest recommendations cover people more likely to develop severe illness or complications. This includes everyone aged 60 and over, pregnant women from the second trimester, people with diabetes, heart disease, respiratory illness or weakened immunity, and residents of nursing or care homes.

The list also includes healthcare workers, people caring for vulnerable individuals, household members of someone at high risk, and some workers with extensive public or animal contact. The article says health authorities continue recommending Covid vaccination, but the supplied text ends before giving its target groups. It introduces RSV without providing eligibility details.

Therefore, the flu groups can be stated directly from the article, while Covid-19 and RSV advice requires checking current German health guidance. In general, vaccination policy prioritises people facing higher risks from infection, but exact recommendations can change by season and vaccine.

People in Germany can usually begin with their family doctor, or Hausarzt. Specialist doctors may also vaccinate their patients, especially those with existing health conditions. These routes are useful when vaccination needs to fit alongside regular medical care.

Alternatives include an employer vaccination programme, a company doctor, participating pharmacies and public vaccination campaigns organised by local authorities. Pharmacies may be particularly practical because appointments are often easier to arrange. If unsure, people can ask, “Bieten Sie hier die Grippeimpfung an?”

Access may therefore depend on local availability rather than a single national location. The article specifically discusses flu vaccination and does not confirm that every listed provider offers Covid-19 or RSV vaccination. People should check with the provider before attending. Missing the usual autumn period does not automatically make vaccination pointless, since later vaccination may still be worthwhile.

The latest figure given is only around one-third of Germans over 60 receiving a flu vaccination during the most recent season. The article reports this as a record low. It does not provide an exact number of people, so the percentage cannot be converted into a headcount from the supplied information.

This matters because age 60 and above is one of STIKO’s main flu-vaccination groups. Older adults are considered more vulnerable to serious illness or complications, making low uptake especially concerning. The same concern extends to people with chronic illnesses and vulnerable children.

The figure also shows why experts are urging higher-risk residents to check their vaccination status before winter. Protection takes about 10 to 14 days to develop fully. Even so, experts say vaccination can still be worthwhile after the preferred autumn window, rather than being abandoned because it is late.

When vaccination rates remain low, fewer people in high-risk groups have protection before respiratory viruses circulate widely. That matters because STIKO’s priority groups are selected for their greater risk of severe illness or complications. The article specifically raises concern about older adults, people with chronic illnesses and vulnerable children.

For example, only around one-third of Germans over 60 received a flu vaccination in the most recent season. Vaccination can reduce the likelihood of becoming ill, missing work and spreading infection to others. It therefore protects the vaccinated person and can reduce exposure for people around them.

Low uptake does not prove that every unvaccinated person will become seriously ill. However, it leaves more people relying on chance during a season when influenza, Covid-19 and RSV are expected to circulate. Experts are consequently urging higher-risk residents to make sure their vaccinations are up to date before winter.

Flu vaccines need annual updates because influenza viruses change over time. Scientists select vaccine components to match strains expected to circulate in the coming season. The article notes a new mutation in the currently dominant H1N1 strain, showing why surveillance and seasonal vaccine updates matter.

Covid boosters are repeated for a related reason: protection against infection can decrease over time, while the coronavirus continues to change. Updated boosters are designed to improve protection against more recent variants and serious disease. The supplied article confirms that coronavirus has not disappeared and that health authorities continue recommending boosters, but it does not explain the biological mechanism.

These updates do not mean earlier vaccination was useless. Rather, protection can be refreshed and adjusted as viruses evolve. Germany’s experts cannot accurately predict how severe the flu season will be, so staying current offers protection before infections rise, with flu immunity taking about 10 to 14 days to develop.