End of the transition period: Measles vaccination is mandatory from Sunday

So far, there has been a transitional period for measles vaccination. From July 31, however, parents must be able to provide unrestricted proof that their school and daycare children have been vaccinated. Vaccination is mandatory in other areas as well.

From Sunday onwards, vaccination against measles will be unrestricted in Germany. Children and employees in schools and daycare centers, but also in refugee accommodation, medical practices and hospitals must then be demonstrably protected against the infectious disease.

The Bundestag had decided to make measles vaccination compulsory in 2019. Since March 1, 2020, it has applied to children from the age of one who are newly admitted to day care centers and schools. In a second stage, vaccination certificates – or medical certificates in the case of recovery from measles – who were already in the facilities on March 1, 2020 must now also be presented by July 31 for boys and girls.

Two deadline extensions due to Corona

The deadline, which also applies to staff, should actually end in August 2021. It was then extended twice because of the corona pandemic. Unvaccinated children can be excluded from daycare. This is not possible in schools because of compulsory schooling. In the end, fines of up to 2500 euros can also be imposed.

Even before the dispute over corona vaccinations, there had been heated debates about compulsory vaccination for measles. In May 2020, the Federal Constitutional Court rejected an urgent application by opponents of vaccination to lift the compulsory measles vaccination for children in day-care centers and kindergartens. As a result, several parents who wanted to have their one-year-old children looked after in a day care center or by a childminder without vaccination failed.

In the worst case, infections can be fatal

Measles outbreaks occur again and again in Germany because less than 95 percent of the population is vaccinated. The World Health Organization assumes that measles cannot spread if more than 95 percent of the population has immunity to measles through vaccination or through a previous illness.

Complications associated with measles infections are not uncommon, experts say. Bernd Salzberger, infectiologist at the University Hospital Regensburg, explained tagesschau24, these often affect the lungs, but also the brain. For example, inflammation could be the result of measles, says Salzberger. In the worst case, children or adults could die. Blindness and other permanent disabilities could also result from infection.

Two vaccinations required

The Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) recommends a first vaccination against measles as a combined measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) in children aged 11 to 14 months. A second vaccination should be given at the age of 15 to 23 months.

For adults, the STIKO recommends vaccination against measles for everyone born after 1970. In the case of the elderly, the legislator trusts that most of them have already had measles as children. A lived infection offers lifelong protection.