Vaccination coverage of children and adolescents in Germany: New data from KiGGS Wave2 and trends from the KiGGS study

Abstract

Since the baseline study of the "German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS)" in 2003-2006, vaccination conditions in Germany have changed and additional vaccinations have been included in the immunization schedule. The current KiGGS data can be used to assess the current vaccination status of 3‑ to 17-year-olds and trends in the 1985-2013 birth cohorts.Of the 15,023 total participants in KiGGS Wave2, 3238 aged 3-17years participated in the KiGGS Wave2 examinations and submitted the complete vaccination certificate or were, according to their parents, unvaccinated. In this group, vaccination coverage was high for the majority of vaccinations for both girls and boys. Vaccination coverage has increased in children and adolescents in the last 10years. This is especially true for vaccines for which there were strong deficiencies in the KiGGS baseline study, such as the hepatitisB and second measles vaccinations in all age groups, the booster dose against pertussis (11- to 17-year olds), as well as the booster dose against tetanus in the 7‑ to 10-year-olds.Sociodemographic factors are still determinants of vaccination status. Less than one child in two is vaccinated against hepatitisB (45.9%) when parents state fear of side effects or indicate vaccine skepticism as reasons against vaccinations. Despite significant increases, vaccination coverage at the end of the second year of life is still far below 95% for all vaccinations (measles: 1stdose: 88.6%; 2nddose: 64.4%) even in the most recent birth cohorts.The results show where further efforts are needed to increase vaccination coverage by the remaining last percentage points, achieve the timely delivery of all vaccinations listed in the immunization schedule, as well as meet the defined elimination goals.