Measles vaccination since July 31: who is affected

Created: 08/01/2022, 17:24

By: Ares Abasi

Vaccination against measles is mandatory from July 31.

Who is affected?

© IMAGO/Martin Wagner

The deadline for proof of compulsory measles vaccination is July 31st.

Berlin – From July 31, measles vaccination is mandatory for people who come into contact with other people in community and medical facilities.

This applies to all people born after 1970.

School children are also affected.

“A person is required by law to be vaccinated as soon as they work regularly over a longer period of time in a facility specified in the law, for example in a hospital or doctor’s office.

This also includes cleaning companies," explains Dr.

Anette Wahl-Wachendorf, specialist in occupational medicine and medical director of the occupational medicine service of the trade association for the construction industry (AMD der BG BAU).

Compulsory vaccination against measles: Numbers have increased in recent years

Measles eradication was within reach in many parts of the world.

However, the number of infections has risen again in recent years.

As a result, the World Health Organization declared measles a global health threat in 2019.

Since measles is highly contagious and not a harmless disease, about one in ten people affected develop complications.

The Measles Protection Act has therefore been in force in Germany since March 2020.

Its purpose is to protect particularly vulnerable people and society at large from dangerous and highly contagious measles viruses.

For employees in kindergartens, schools or other community facilities, asylum seeker and refugee accommodation, health facilities such as hospitals and doctor's offices and day care workers must be vaccinated against measles or immune.

This has been a legal requirement for two years.

The obligation also applies to employees in building cleaning, according to Dr.

Wahl-Wachendorf.

The deadline was originally supposed to end on July 31 last year.

After that, however, it was extended twice because the Corona crisis made the process more difficult.

Now it expired on July 31, 2022.

Since March 1, 2020, vaccination has also been compulsory for new registrations in kindergartens and schools.

In the second phase, vaccination certificates must also be submitted by July 31, 2022 for children who were already in the facility on March 1, 2020.

Unvaccinated children can be excluded from daycare, as the Federal Ministry of Health explains.

This is not possible at school due to compulsory education.

Fines of up to 2500 euros can be imposed.

Measles vaccination requirement: health authorities overwhelmed

The counties are currently warning that many health authorities will be overwhelmed if vaccination against measles takes place during the Corona crisis.

The offices are not only involved in the fight against the pandemic, but also in this context, the German district association said at the request of the German Press Agency.

(aba/dpa)