Meningococcal II: the vaccination schedule
Fortunately, meningococcal infections are very rare, but they can cause dangerous meningitis, for example. Everything you need to know about the clinical picture in Part I, here we look at what you need to know about vaccination.
Unfortunately, this is not so easy because the Stiko recommendation on meningococcal vaccination has changed from time to time. Here we break down the current status (November 2025).
Firstly, you need to know that there are six different strains of meningococcus: A, B, C, W, X and Y. These strains vary in frequency and also in danger, depending on the age of the baby, child or young person.
Previously, babies were vaccinated against meningococcal B at two months of age, which has been the case for the last year or two. Vaccination against meningococcal C was given at 12 months and has been for around 20 years.
The latest scientific datanow shows that this vaccination against meningococcal C can be omitted around the first birthday because it has become so rare - also thanks to widespread immunisation - for young children to become infected with it. This is why the Stiko has now adjusted its recommendation. Vaccination against meningococcal B at two months is and remains important.
In addition, it has been seen that the second major "peak" of infections in adolescence is primarily caused by meningococcus type C and Y. This is why the Stiko has recently recommended vaccination between the ages of 12 and 14 with a vaccine that protects against A, C, W and Y. The vaccine has been available for a long time. The vaccine has been around for a long time, but until now it has mainly been used as a travel vaccine.
To summarise: Babies with meningococcal B at two months, no more C at 12 months, but A, C, W, Y for everyone between 12 and 14. And the Stiko also says: Follow-up vaccination until the 25th birthday for everyone who does not yet have this protection.
Very importantly, there is currently only the Stiko recommendation. This still has to go through a federal committee before it can be implemented in everyday practice, so we expect that implementation in everyday life will be realistic from the beginning of 2026.
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