Measles Vaccination
Implementation of the Measles Protection Act
The Measles Protection Act went into effect more than two years ago (on March 1, 2020).
According to the law, individuals who work in, receive care in, or attend certain facilities (listed below) must provide proof that they are immune to measles.
Even for individuals who were receiving care or working in communal facilities prior to March 2020, the required proof must now be submitted by August 1, 2022, following the expiration of the transition period (from March 1, 2020, to July 31, 2022) the required proof must now be submitted by August 1, 2022.
However, this applies only to individuals born after December 31, 1970. This is because lawmakers assume that, due to the high contagiousness of measles, almost all older individuals had already contracted measles during childhood—that is, before the introduction of the measles vaccine.
The Measles Protection Act applies to the following facilities:
- Childcare centers, after-school care centers, and family daycare
- Schools and other educational institutions
- Hospitals
- Outpatient surgery facilities
- Preventive care or rehabilitation facilities that provide medical care comparable to that of hospitals
- Dialysis centers
- Day clinics
- Maternity facilities
- Treatment or care facilities comparable to any of the facilities listed [above]
- Medical and dental practices
- Practices of other human health care professionals
- Public health facilities where medical examinations, preventive measures, or outpatient treatments are performed
- Outpatient nursing services that provide intensive outpatient care in facilities, residential groups, or other forms of communal living
- Emergency medical services
- (Children’s) Homes
- Facilities for the communal housing of asylum seekers, individuals subject to enforceable deportation, refugees, and ethnic German repatriates
The aforementioned communal facilities that employ or care for individuals subject to the vaccination requirement are required to submit reports.
Reports from facilities in Jena must be submitted to the Health Department of the City of Jena:
You can register your facility via the reporting portal.
- Your facility will be manually activated, and you will then be notified by the Health Department.
- Log in using the provided login credentials and enter the required information.
Overview of the affected group
|
Type of Facility |
Person works at/is employed by the facility |
Person is receiving care/support at the facility |
|---|---|---|
|
Proof required |
Proofrequired |
|
Proof required |
Proof required |
|
Residential facilities |
Proof required |
Proof required |
|
Hospitals |
Proof required |
No proof required |
|
Outpatient surgery facilities |
Proof required |
Proof not required |
|
Preventive care or rehabilitation facilities |
Proof required |
No proof required |
|
Preventive care or rehabilitation facilities (with medical care comparable to that of a hospital) |
Proof required |
No proof required |
|
Dialysis facilities |
Proof required |
No proof required |
|
Day clinics |
Proof required |
No proof required |
|
Maternity facilities |
Proof required |
No proof required |
|
Treatment or care facilities |
Proof required |
No proof required |
|
Medical practices |
Proof required |
Proof not required |
|
Dental offices |
Proof required |
Proof not required |
|
Practices of other human medical professions* |
Proof required |
Proof not required |
|
Public health service facilities |
Proof required |
Proof not required |
|
Outpatient care services |
Proof required |
No proof required |
|
Emergency medical services |
Proofrequired |
No proof required |
|
Community facilities for housing asylum seekers, individuals subject to mandatory departure, refugees, and ethnic German repatriates |
Proof required |
Proof required |
* For example: dietitian, occupational therapist, midwife, speech-language pathologist, massage therapist, medical bath attendant, orthoptist, physical therapist, podiatrist, and psychotherapist
Proof of Vaccination
Proof of vaccination or recovery must be submitted to the management of the relevant facilities or companies by August 1, 2022. Proof of full vaccination or recovery is provided by presenting a vaccination record. Management must verify the proof, and this verification must be documented.
Exceptions to the Requirement to Provide Proof
If employees or other individuals working at the facility or company can provide a medical certificate stating that they cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, the requirement does not apply. In addition to administrative consequences related to the enforcement of the facility-specific vaccination requirement, the submission of forged or fraudulent medical certificates may also result in labor law and criminal law consequences. For example, the issuance and use of false or inaccurate health certificates (including vaccination records) are punishable under Sections 277 through 279 of the Criminal Code.
Children do not require a measles vaccination until they reach their first birthday. Only one measles vaccination is required until they reach their second birthday; after that, two vaccinations are necessary for full immunization.
In addition, as mentioned at the beginning, the age cutoff is December 31, 1970: Anyone born before this date is not subject to the requirement to provide proof, because the legislature assumes that almost all older people have already recovered from a measles infection.
Reporting Requirements for Facility and Company Management
If employees or other individuals working at the facility or company fail to submit proof of status by July 31, 2022, or if there are doubts regarding the authenticity or accuracy of a document, the management of the facility or company is required to report the individuals in question (including their personal data) to the competent public health department. The competent public health department is the one in whose district the respective facility or company is located.
Individuals who are scheduled to begin working at the facilities or companies listed above on or after August 1, 2022, must submit appropriate proof of status to the management of the respective facility or company before starting work. The same applies here: If there are doubts regarding the authenticity or accuracy of the content of a submitted document, the management of the respective facility or company must immediately notify the competent public health department and provide it with the relevant personal data.
Measles
Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases in humans. It primarily affects children. In addition to skin rashes, the disease causes fever and a significantly weakened general condition. In some cases, the disease takes a severe course and leads to pneumonia and encephalitis, which can become life-threatening. A late complication of a measles infection in early childhood can be subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a severe and invariably fatal brain disease.
In Germany, measles is a notifiable disease. There is no specific treatment, but the disease—and thus its complications—can be prevented through vaccination starting at 12 months of age.