VACCINATIONS
The German Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) recommends standard vaccination for infants and toddlers under 5 years old to provide optimal protection against Meningococcal B infection.
Why is the vaccination important?
Meningococcal B infections can occur as early as in the first months of life and pose a serious threat to health. Therefore, it is crucial to initiate the vaccination series as early as possible in the first year of life.
Overview of the Vaccination Schedule:
Recommended Schedule: 2, 4, and 12 months, each with 1 dose.
If you start at 12-23 months: 2 vaccine doses with a minimum interval of 2 months, and a 3rd dose 12-23 months after the 2nd dose.
If you start at >24 months: 2 doses with a minimum interval of 1 month.
It is important to note that STIKO does not recommend a change in the vaccination schedule for preterm infants.
Catch-up vaccinations should be administered no later than the 5th birthday.
Prophylactic Paracetamol:
To minimize possible side effects such as fever or pain after the MenB vaccination, prophylactic administration of paracetamol is recommended. The dosage should be adjusted according to the child's weight and age.
This prophylaxis should be continued for 24 hours.
If high fever or severe pain persists despite paracetamol prophylaxis, additional therapeutic doses of paracetamol, adjusted for age and weight, can be administered within 48 hours after vaccination.
If fever persists or the child's clinical condition worsens, medical attention should be sought.
For catch-up vaccinations from the age of 2 years, prophylactic paracetamol is no longer required.
When and How Can Vaccinations Be Administered?
MenB vaccinations can conveniently be administered during routine pediatric check-ups, such as early U4 and late U6 examinations. To ensure comprehensive immunity and minimize the number of vaccination appointments, STIKO recommends co-administration with up to 3 injection vaccines:
1st and 2nd doses of MenB in combination with the 6-in-1 vaccine, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, and rotavirus oral vaccine;
3rd dose of MenB in combination with MenC.
Injections should be given as usual on both sides of the thigh, with a minimum distance of 2 cm between injections on the same side. Injection into the upper arm is not recommended for infants, and injection into the buttock is generally not recommended.
Any practice visit can be used for catch-up vaccinations, with routine check-ups U7, U7a, and U8 being suitable.
No General Recommendation for Older Age Groups:
For children aged 5 and above, adolescents, and adults, there is currently no general recommendation for MenB vaccination. However, STIKO will regularly evaluate its recommendations and adjust them as needed based on epidemiology and data from post-marketing studies.
Resources:
https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Infekt/EpidBull/Archiv/2024/Ausgaben/03_24.pdf?__blob=publicationFile
https://www.impfen-info.de/impfempfehlungen/fuer-kinder-0-12-jahre/meningokokken/
MOST POPULAR
