Germany Records Lowest Influenza Vaccination Rate in 17 Years Among Older Adults
In Germany, the proportion of people aged 60 and older who received a flu shot fell to 34% in 2025, marking the lowest level recorded in 17 years according to the medical journal Ärzteblatt and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) recommends annual influenza immunization specifically for individuals aged 60 and older, residents of care homes, healthcare personnel, pregnant women, people with chronic medical conditions, and anyone in close contact with animals such as pigs or poultry. Beyond the standard flu shot, German public health guidelines also advise older adults to discuss vaccinations against pneumococci, shingles, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) with their physicians.
COVID-19 Uptake and Insurance Rules Shape Lower Coverage
Uptake for coronavirus vaccinations remains similarly low across Germany. Data from the RKI indicates that only 16% of adults over 60 continued to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in 2025. Recommendations for the coronavirus vaccine now focus primarily on individuals over 75, members of a risk group, immunocompromised patients, healthcare workers, and pregnant women facing health risks.
Because the recommendation has been reduced, not all patients with mandatory health insurance have the coronavirus vaccination fully reimbursed.
Mandatory Childhood Immunizations and Wider Health Effects
While adult uptake drops, Germany maintains strict legal requirements for younger populations. The Measles Protection Act requires proof of vaccination or immunity for children before starting daycare or school, as well as for individuals born after 1970 working in healthcare or childcare facilities. These regulations parallel childhood schedules covering RSV, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, hepatitis B, meningitis, mumps, and rubella, responding to recent waves of severe measles cases in the United States driven by a lack of vaccination protection.
Ongoing research highlighted by German Medical Journal investigates whether certain vaccines provide non-specific or heterologous effects that influence immune responses beyond a single target pathogen. Studies are currently examining whether influenza immunizations offer secondary protection against cardiovascular complications or help prevent dementia, pointing to potential benefits that extend past traditional infection control.
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