Long list of the Standing Committee on Vaccination
From chickenpox to meningococcus – the list of infections against which there are vaccines is long. Protection is usually already recommended for children, sometimes even for very young babies. The official recommendations come from the Standing Vaccination Committee at the Robert Koch Institute, and the health insurance companies reimburse the costs. Many parents ask themselves: Are all vaccinations really necessary? Do combined vaccinations have to be? And why do we have to vaccinate healthy children at all?
Vaccinations for children – that’s what our test report offers
Independent Reviews. The experts at Stiftung Warentest summarize their assessments of vaccinations and say which ones make sense for children.
Facts about vaccines and diseases. Our tables and articles give an overview of tetanus, measles & Co and give the most important facts about vaccination. We say how the diseases are transmitted, what health consequences they can have and who is particularly at risk. In addition, we explain how the vaccinations and vaccines work, name possible side effects and complications and say how long the vaccination effect lasts.
Independent assessments by Stiftung Warentest
The Stiftung Warentest gives advice. An independent group of experts has been evaluating vaccinations on her behalf since 2012. In doing so, it takes into account data on the frequency and severity of diseases as well as on the effectiveness and safety of vaccines. We have summarized the facts for the most important vaccinations here in this test report so that parents can form their own opinion. You can find the summary of each vaccination in our vaccination calendar for children after the test has been activated.
Important: Our assessments are to be regarded as basic assistance. The individual decision depends on the health of the child and should be made with the pediatrician.
test vaccination calendar for children
© Stiftung Warentest
In some places, our vaccination calendar deviates from the official recommendations. But we confirm most of them, including newer ones – for example against rotavirus, pneumococci, human papilloma virus (HPV) – as well as well-known ones such as against tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio. We rate the chickenpox vaccination much more positively than when we started our vaccination assessments in 2012. This is because the study situation has improved significantly since then. We expressly recommend a spade against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR for short), which are often considered “kids’ stuff”. Far more risky than their reputation, they can have extremely serious consequences, including life-threatening encephalitis. Since March 2020, parents whose children are new to daycare or school must prove that they have been vaccinated against measles (more on this in our Measles FAQ).
Why vaccinations are important
Vaccination is a very fearful subject for some people. Last but not least, this also has to do with the fact that small children are vaccinated as a preventive measure, i.e. when there is no health problem at all. In addition, many infectious diseases have lost their horror because they hardly ever occur in this country and their severe symptoms are no longer present – also and precisely because of successful vaccination programs. More on the topic in our special Vaccinations – risk or rescue? The fact check.
Tipp: We present our vaccination assessments for adults in a separate test report. Information on vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), which is recommended for children and adults in TBE risk areas, can be found in our tick special.