The Standing Committee on Vaccination at the Robert Koch Institute (, ), or STIKO (), is a

scientific committee Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

comprising 18 members at the

Robert Koch Institute The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is a German federal government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention. It is located in Berlin and Wernigerode. As an upper federal agency, it is subordinate to the Federa ...

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

that provides official recommendations for the

vaccination schedule A vaccination schedule is a series of vaccinations, including the timing of all doses, which may be either recommended or compulsory, depending on the country of residence. A vaccine is an antigenic preparation used to produce active immunity t ...

s used by the individual German states. The committee meets twice yearly to review the latest research regarding

vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...

against

infectious diseases infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...

. Although the STIKO makes recommendations, immunization in Germany is voluntary and there are no official government recommendations.

German Federal States Federalism in Germany is made of the states of Germany and the federal government. The central government, the states, and the German municipalities have different tasks and partially competing regions of responsibilities ruled by a complex syste ...

typically follow the STIKO's recommendations minimally, although each state can make recommendations for their geographic jurisdiction that extends beyond the recommended list. In addition to the proposed immunization schedule for children and adults, the STIKO recommends vaccinations for occupational groups, police, travelers, and other at risk groups.

History

The STIKO was established in 1972 as a department of the German Federal Health Agency in Berlin. During a reorganization of the Federal Health Agency in 1994, the STIKO was attached to the

(RKI) in Berlin which was now an independent Upper-level federal agency under the purview of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG). RKI compiles data of immunization status upon the entry of children at school, and measures vaccine coverage of Germany at a national level. The legal basis for the STIKO is §20 of the Infection Protection Act (, or ''IfSG''). Members of the expert body are appointed by the Federal Ministry of Health in coordination with the state ministries of health. Additional expert representatives from the

Paul Ehrlich Institute The Paul Ehrlich Institute (German: ''Paul-Ehrlich-Institut – Bundesinstitut für Impfstoffe und biomedizinische Arzneimittel'', PEI) is a German Federal agency (Germany), federal agency, medical regulatory body and research institution for vacc ...

, Robert Koch Institute Federal and state ministries of health attend the meetings in an advisory capacity.

Responsibility

The commission's responsibility is to provide scientifically based recommendations regarding the necessary vaccinations in Germany. Due to the importance of the recommendations, these have been codified in the Infection Protection Act since 2001. In accordance with the goals of the Infection Protection Act, the recommendations are focused on vaccinations that are most relevant to the protection of

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

. The law does not require the commission to perform

cost–benefit analysis Cost–benefit analysis (CBA), sometimes also called benefit–cost analysis, is a systematic approach to estimating the strengths and weaknesses of alternatives. It is used to determine options which provide the best approach to achieving benefits ...

on individual vaccinations. The commission's recommendations are based on a vaccine's

risk–benefit ratio A risk–benefit ratio (or benefit-risk ratio) is the ratio of the risk of an action to its potential benefits. Risk–benefit analysis (or benefit-risk analysis) is analysis that seeks to quantify the risk and benefits and hence their ratio. A ...

, evaluating the effectiveness of a

vaccine A vaccine is a biological Dosage form, preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease, infectious or cancer, malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verifi ...

versus any risks posed. The commission has developed criteria to minimize vaccine injuries caused by

side effects In medicine, a side effect is an effect of the use of a medicinal drug or other treatment, usually adverse but sometimes beneficial, that is unintended. Herbal and traditional medicines also have side effects. A drug or procedure usually used ...

. German health insurance companies are obligated to cover the cost of any immunizations recommended by the STIKO after they have been reviewed the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA). The G-BA generally adopts the commission's recommendations, although minor differences do exist.

Membership

The members of the STIKO are appointed by the Federal Ministry for Health for 3-year terms. The members serve ''

pro bono publico ( English: 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. The term traditionally referred to provision of legal services by legal professionals for people who a ...

''. Members include experts from many scientific disciplines and public health fields and professionals with extensive experience on vaccination. For the period of 2024 through 2027, the commission has the following members: * Chairman: Klaus Überla, Virological Institute of Clinical and Molecular Virology, University Hospital Erlangen * Deputy Chairwoman: Dr. Marianne Röbl-Mathieu, Gynaecological Practice, Munich * Dr. Reinhard Berner, Clinic and Polyclinic for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden * Prof. Dr. Horst von Bernuth, Section Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Pulmonology, Immunology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité University Medicine, Berlin * Stefan Brockmann, State Health Office of Baden-Württemberg * Prof. Dr. Alexander Dalpke, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital * Prof. Dr. Stefan Flasche, Charité Center for Global Health and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine * Dr. Thomas Grünewald, Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Medicine, Chemnitz Hospital * Prof. Dr. Andrea Kaifie-Pechmann, Institute and Polyclinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg * Dr. Anja Kwetkat, Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Osnabrück Hospital * Dr. Berit Lange, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig * Prof. Dr. Jörg Meerpohl, Cochrane Centre Germany, Freiburg * Prof. Dr. Beate Müller, Institute of General Medicine, University Medicine Cologne * Dr. Christian Schönfeld, travel medical advice and vaccinations, Charité University Medicine, Berlin * Dr. Julia Tabatabai, pediatric group practice, Scheden and Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine/Center for Infectious Diseases/Virology, Heidelberg University Hospital * Prof. Dr. Constanze Rossmann, Institute of Communication Science and Media Research,

Ludwig Maximilian University The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich, LMU or LMU Munich; ) is a public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as the University of Ingolstadt in 1472 by Duke Ludwig IX of Bav ...

, Munich * Prof. Dr. Birgitta Weltermann, Institute of General Practice, University Hospital Bonn * Dipl.-Med. Gudrun Widders, formerly Health Department Berlin * Prof. Dr. Ursula Wiedermann-Schmidt, Special Outpatient Clinic for Vaccinations, Travel and Tropical Medicine, Institute for Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine,

Medical University of Vienna The Medical University of Vienna (MedUni Wien, German language, German: ''Medizinische Universität Wien'') is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It is the direct successor to the faculty of medicine at the University of Vienna, foun ...

References

{{Reflist 1972 establishments in West Germany Medical and health organisations based in Berlin Robert Koch Institute Vaccination-related organizations

History

Responsibility

Membership

See also

References