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A vaccination activates the body’s own defences. This is also called the immune system. Vaccination makes the immune system produce its own substances to defend itself against disease. These substances are called antibodies.

Vaccination reduces the risk of getting sick. When viruses, bacteria or fungi enter the body, this is called an infection. Some infections can even lead to death. Vaccination can prevent infections, as well as damage to health that sometimes only occurs many years later.

All vaccines activate the body’s own defence system, the so-called immune defence, so that it can protect itself against the virus. The body therefore produces its own defence substances that protect the body against the virus. Through vaccination, the body „learns“ how to defend itself.

All vaccines provide very good protection against getting seriously ill with covid-19 or even dying from it. There are no clear differences in the effectiveness of the vaccines according to current knowledge. It is certain that all vaccines protect well after the first vaccination and very well after the second vaccination.

Those who have not yet been vaccinated against Covid-19 should be vaccinated twice at intervals of a few weeks with an mRNA vaccine from BioNTech/Pfizer (BioNTech) or Moderna (Spikevax).

In Germany, mainly younger people between 12 and 30 get the vaccine from BioNTech/Pfizer. BioNTech is now also licensed in the EU for children aged 5 to 11 years, who receive a special children’s vaccine with a slightly lower vaccine dose.

Moderna’s Spikevax is currently still licensed for people 18 years and older.

AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria vaccine was also licensed for people 18 years and older. Since the end of November 2021, this vaccine is no longer vaccinated in Germany.

The vaccine from Johnson&Johnson is also licensed from 18 years of age, but due to a low vaccination effect, this vaccine is no longer or hardly ever vaccinated in Germany. Those who have received a single vaccination with the Johnson&Johnson vaccine should definitely receive a second vaccination with an mRNA vaccine (Spikevax or BioNTech) from 4 weeks after the vaccination for better protection. According to current scientific knowledge, a single vaccination with the Johnson&Johnson vaccine does not provide sufficient protection.

In Germany, you can currently choose between Spikevax from Moderna and Comirnaty from BioNTech/Pfizer. Comirnaty, however, is mainly used for people up to 30 years of age. Older people should be given Spikevax as a priority. In Germany, you can currently choose between Spikevax from Moderna and Comirnaty from BioNTech/Pfizer. Comirnaty, however, is mainly used for people up to 30 years of age. Older people should be given Spikevax as a priority.

Our bodies are all different. That is why our bodies react differently. Some people therefore feel the reactions to vaccination more strongly, many more weakly and some not at all.

The reaction to vaccination is a good sign. It shows that the vaccination is working and the body is starting to protect itself.

Side effects are not good and can also be dangerous. But they are also extremely rare. For example, a typical but rare side effect is an allergic reaction to the vaccine.

If you get a fever after vaccination, for example, and the fever has not gone away after 3 days, you should see a doctor. Also, if you get a severe headache after being vaccinated with the Vaxzevria vaccine from AstraZeneca and it lasts for several days, you should see a doctor quickly.

Possible vaccination reactions are: Pain and tenderness at the injection site, red skin or swelling. There may also be exhaustion, headache, fever, chills, nausea and muscle aches.

All side effects are extremely rare! With all vaccines, for example, allergic reactions occur from time to time. With the vaccines from AstraZeneca and Johnson&Johnson, blood clots occurred in extremely few cases. Very rare cases of mild myocarditis/pericarditis were observed with Spikevax from Moderna and Comirnaty from BioNTech/Pfizer. Since this usually happens, if at all, in people under 30 years of age, these young people should be given BioNTech/Pfizer’s Comirnaty vaccine, which has this side effect even less frequently than Moderna’s Spikevax vaccine.

The first vaccination already offers protection against a severe or fatal course. However, this only lasts for a few weeks and is not sufficiently good, so the second vaccination should always be given as well. With the first vaccination, you already receive the date for the second vaccination.

After two vaccinations, the mRNA vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna, as well as Vaxzevria from AstraZeneca, have a vaccine protection of 90% against a severe course of COVID-19 disease (e.g. treatment in hospital) and a vaccine protection of about 75% against infection with COVID-19 in general.

Experts currently say that the vaccination protection should be renewed („boosted“) if possible by the end of half a year after the second vaccination, because the vaccination protection decreases significantly after about 6 months. This affects all people.

It is similar with other vaccinations. For example, a vaccination against influenza (flu) should be given once a year, and a vaccination against tetanus (lockjaw) should be renewed every 10 years.

Yes. With increasing age, the body’s own defence system weakens. However, according to the current state of knowledge about vaccination, there is still sufficient protection at an advanced age with the vaccines approved in the EU.

Yes. Even though the probability is much lower, transmission is possible. However, according to current knowledge, the course of the disease in vaccinated persons is generally mild.

Yes, but a vaccination is recommended in this case only three months after a positive PCR test (throat swab), in order to stimulate a formation of the then still existing immune defence against the virus again. If antibodies against COVID-19 have been detected in a blood test, vaccination can be given as early as 4 weeks after the blood result.

Anyone who falls ill with corona between the first two vaccinations should also adhere to the above-mentioned intervals, and the same is currently recommended for booster vaccinations.

Yes. The current rules of conduct in the pandemic situation still apply. You can still transmit Corona after vaccination. Therefore, the safety rules still apply.

You are protected against a severe or fatal course of the coronavirus disease.

Infection with the corona virus is much less likely due to vaccination.

You are much less likely to infect someone else with the corona virus yourself.

Apart from the health benefits, you can do many leisure activities that would not be possible without vaccination. You can go to cafés again, meet friends and enjoy more free time if you have proof of vaccination.

Various models for dealing with the pandemic have become known; the models used today are called 3G, 2G and 2G+.

3G means: Access is only possible for people who have been vaccinated, have recovered or have tested negative (rapid test/antigen test or PCR test) on the day of the visit.

2G means: Access is only possible for vaccinated or recovered people.

2G+ means: Access is only possible for vaccinated or recovered people if they can also present a current negative test (rapid test/antigen test or PCR test) on the day of the visit.

People in collective accommodation have a high risk of becoming infected with the Corona virus because many people live together in a small space. This makes keeping a distance extremely difficult. The risk of infection increases. That is why vaccination is all the more important.

No! The vaccines were tested on volunteers a long time ago. In the meantime, more than 8.5 billion vaccine doses (as of December 2021) have been vaccinated worldwide. This means that one can assume good vaccination protection against COVID-19 in half or more than half of the entire world population.

Yes. Especially then you should be vaccinated, because the risk of a severe course of the COVID disease is increased for you. People with severe pre-existing conditions were therefore vaccinated first in Germany.

STIKO recommends vaccination for unvaccinated pregnant women from the 2nd trimester (second third of pregnancy, i.e. only from the 4th month of pregnancy) and for unvaccinated breastfeeding women.

The STIKO recommends basic immunisation with two doses of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine Comirnaty.

vaccine Comirnaty from BioNTech/Pfizer. Pregnant women should be vaccinated with Comirnaty and not with Spikevax, regardless of their age. If pregnancy has been established after the first vaccination has already been given, the second vaccination should only be given from the 2nd trimester (i.e. from the 4th month of pregnancy).

The BioNTech vaccine from BioNTech/Pfizer is approved for children and adolescents from the age of 12. In addition, this vaccine is now also licensed in the EU for children aged 5 to 11 years; they receive a special children’s vaccine with a slightly lower vaccine dose.

People who feel ill and have a raised temperature, for example, should not be vaccinated until they are well again.

No. There is no scientific evidence that vaccination makes people infertile.

There was a vaccine freeze because they wanted to do more research on possible complications from some vaccines first. The safety of all people is always the most important thing. That is why research is being done so thoroughly.

Before a vaccination, everyone is entitled to a medical consultation. This is true wherever they have a vaccination, in their GP practice as well as in a vaccination centre. Any questions you have will be discussed. If you have not yet decided on a vaccination, you can contact your family doctor for a consultation.

In Germany, vaccination centres also vaccinate with mobile vaccination teams, general practitioners and specialists in private practice, doctors in companies and private doctors.

In spring 2022, dentists and pharmacists will also be authorised to vaccinate against COVID-19.

Mobile vaccination teams are part of a vaccination centre and are teams of doctors and medical assistants who travel, for example, to nursing and old people’s homes, to collective accommodation for refugees or also to residential areas where particularly large numbers of people live in a confined space. They vaccinate directly on site under medical conditions. There are currently about 200 mobile vaccination teams in Lower Saxony.

More information is available here:

https://www.niedersachsen.de/Coronavirus

https://www.zusammengegencorona.de/

www.impfen-gegen-corona.eu

No. No one is punished. Vaccination is voluntary.

No. Whether you get vaccinated or not is not punished and has no effect on an ongoing asylum procedure.

The Standing Commission on Vaccination (STIKO) develops vaccination recommendations for Germany. The commission consists of 16 volunteer experts. The committee deals with questions on vaccinations and infectious diseases and makes vaccination recommendations.