All information about the vaccination record

Reading the vaccination record correctly: recognizing protection and refreshing it when needed

Ideally, the vaccination record accompanies us throughout our entire life. It documents all vaccinations and shows when a booster is due. How do you read the yellow booklet? What should you do if the vaccination record is lost or no longer up to date? We have summarized the most important information for you below.

Eine Hand hält einen geöffneten Impfpass, es sind die eingetragenen Impfungen zu erkennen.

Vaccinations for adults – your benefits

The SBK Health Telephone provides advice on all questions related to vaccinations.

If you receive the recommended vaccinations, you will receive a bonus as part of the SBK bonus program.

Where do I get my vaccination record?

Your vaccination record is issued by your doctor’s office with your first vaccination shortly after birth. Ideally, it should be kept throughout your life so that all doctors can see which vaccinations you have received.

Most people have the yellow vaccination booklet, which is issued according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). Some older white fold-out vaccination booklets still exist in Germany, and they are structured similarly. The WHO vaccination record is an international document and contains all information in German, English and French. For this reason, it is also an important travel document, especially when visiting countries with vaccination requirements.

Vaccination record lost: step-by-step to a new vaccination record

Your vaccinations are not fully documented? Or have you lost your vaccination record? Then you should first contact your pediatrician or family doctor. Your medical file should list all past vaccinations, allowing your doctor to transfer the entries into a new vaccination record. If earlier vaccinations cannot be traced, they are considered “not vaccinated.” In this case, doctors recommend catching up on all undocumented but necessary vaccinations. Your treating physician will advise you individually on which vaccinations are needed in your situation.

If your old vaccination record is lost or if you never had one, vaccinations will be entered into a new booklet. You will receive this directly at your doctor’s office. It is not possible to order or apply for a vaccination booklet.

In theory, an antibody test can be performed. Through a blood test – called a titer test – antibodies against specific diseases can be detected. This can show whether you are already immune. However, these tests are generally not recommended because they are not fully reliable and are usually not covered by insurance. Only under certain conditions, such as in individuals with immune deficiencies, can doctors advise such tests, which can then be billed via the SBK healthcare card.

Tip: After each new vaccination, make a copy of your vaccination record. This way you retain the information even if the physical booklet gets lost. The documented vaccinations can then be transferred into a new vaccination booklet.

Page by page: understanding your vaccination record

For each vaccination, the date is entered first. This allows you to see exactly when a booster will be needed.

Then, the name of the vaccine and its batch number follow – usually via a sticker. If side effects occur, the batch number makes it possible to trace exactly which vaccine was administered.

In addition, the disease or pathogen you were vaccinated against is checked or marked.

Finally, the name, signature and stamp of the vaccinating doctor are added.

After the cover page, you will find the entries for yellow fever vaccinations. Some countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination upon entry. Only officially authorized yellow fever vaccination centers may administer and record this vaccination.

Following these pages, you will find entries for standard vaccinations administered from infancy to adulthood. In Germany, these include vaccinations against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR).

Most vaccination records have a dedicated section for influenza vaccinations. This is where the annual flu vaccination is documented.

The vaccination record also lists special vaccinations needed for work, travel, or specific risk groups. These may include vaccinations against rabies, hepatitis A, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), or HPV (cervical cancer).

STIKO has not recommended vaccination against tuberculosis (BCG) in Germany since 1998. Nevertheless, it may sometimes be relevant to determine whether you have had tuberculosis or another mycobacterial infection in the past, or whether you were vaccinated. This can be determined through a skin test. The result of this tuberculin test is recorded in the vaccination booklet.

In certain cases, blood tests can show whether you are sufficiently protected against some diseases, for example rubella, either due to vaccination or past infection. This is particularly relevant for women planning to become pregnant. These results are typically entered on one of the last pages of the vaccination booklet.

In emergencies, such as when you have an injury and your vaccination protection is insufficient, you may receive passive immunization — for example, against tetanus. The administration of antibodies is documented in the corresponding section of the vaccination record.

Finally, important medical data for emergencies can be recorded in the vaccination record, such as your blood type, allergies, or chronic conditions.

Here you will find common abbreviations that you may encounter in connection with vaccinations — for example, in your vaccination record.

Abkürzung	Bedeutung
aP	Pertussis (Keuchhusten)
D oder d	Diphtherie
DT oder Td	Diphtherie/Tetanus-Kombinationsimpfstoff
DTaP oder Tdap	Diphtherie/Tetanus/Pertussis-Kombinationsimpfstoff
FSME	Frühsommermeningoenzephalitis
HA	Hepatitis A
HB	Hepatitis B
Hib	Haemophilus influenzae Typ b
HPV	Humane Papillomaviren
IfSG	Infektionsschutzgesetz
IPV	Inaktivierte Poliomyelitis-Vakzine (Impfstoff gegen Kinderlähmung)
MMR	Masern/Mumps/Röteln-Kombinationsimpfstoff
MMR-V	Masern/Mumps/Röteln/Varizellen-Kombinationsimpfstoff
T	Tetanus (Wundstarrkrampf)
Tbc	Tuberkulose

When is which vaccination recommended?

On the last page of your vaccination record, you will find a vaccination schedule that shows at which point in time each standard vaccination is recommended. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) provides the most up-to-date recommendations of the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) on its website. Here you can access the STIKO vaccination schedule.

In addition, STIKO issues further vaccination recommendations for specific groups of people. These indication-based vaccinations apply to individuals with underlying health conditions or immune deficiencies, or to people who are exposed to particular risks due to their profession. Additional vaccinations may also be recommended for international travel.

Here you can find more information on important vaccinations.