The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) now recommends vaccination against meningococcal B (MenB) for infants from the age of two months. “Overall, invasive MenB diseases occur very rarely, but the course of the disease is very serious,” said the experts, explaining the decision. The risk of illness is highest in the first year of life – early vaccination is therefore particularly important.
To protect against serious illnesses, the recommendation is that infants should receive three doses of vaccine at the ages of two, four and twelve months. For small children who have not yet been vaccinated, the recommendation published by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) calls for a catch-up vaccination by their fifth birthday.
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Meningococci are bacteria and are transmitted through droplets, such as when coughing or sneezing. A distinction is made between so-called serogroups – i.e. variants of the pathogen.
Mortality rate is highest among children and infants
According to the RKI, most meningococcal diseases in Germany are caused by serotypes B, C, W and Y. For serogroup C, Stiko has been recommending vaccination for children from the age of two since 2006. A vaccination recommendation against type B has so far only applied to certain risk groups: people at risk at work and people traveling to a highly endemic area.
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According to the RKI, a meningococcal infection often results in headaches, fever, chills and dizziness with a “severe feeling of illness”. The experts say about infants and children: “Fever, vomiting, irritability or even drowsiness, cramps, crying out and a bulging or hard fontanelle can occur.”
Overall, invasive meningococcal B diseases are very rare in Germany and have declined significantly over the past two decades. According to the RKI, in the five years before the corona pandemic, around 3.5 out of 100,000 infants were diagnosed with MenB every year. The general mortality rate in Germany is around eight percent. In the period from 2015 to 2019, a total of 59 deaths were reported in Germany – most of them in infants and small children.
The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) now recommends vaccination against meningococcal B (MenB) for infants from the age of two months. “Overall, invasive MenB diseases occur very rarely, but the course of the disease is very serious,” said the experts, explaining the decision. The risk of illness is highest in the first year of life – early vaccination is therefore particularly important.
To protect against serious illnesses, the recommendation is that infants should receive three doses of vaccine at the ages of two, four and twelve months. For small children who have not yet been vaccinated, the recommendation published by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) calls for a catch-up vaccination by their fifth birthday.