Vaccination

Where can I go to get vaccinated?

You can get vaccinated at most medical practices, by your company doctor, or you can take advantage of a communal vaccination offer.

1. Communal vaccination offers

Cities, towns, communities and the Hanover region offer mobile vaccination teams or fixed vaccination locations. You will be able to find more details on the websites of your local or regional authorities or, if available, from a community information centre. Clicking on your region on the interactive map will take you directly to the website of the authorities responsible for your community (in German).

The Lower Saxony Vaccination Hotline, 0800 99 88 665, will remain open to answer any questions you may have. You can call the Hotline at any time from Monday to Saturday between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Do you have any further questions about vaccination? Take advantage of the contact form at www.impfportal-niedersachsen.de.

2. Registered doctors

Most doctors offer vaccinations. We recommend that you call your family doctor or a medical practice close to you to arrange an appointment for vaccination. If you don’t have a family doctor, you can visit www.arztauskunft-niedersachsen.de to find medical practices in your region.

3. Company doctors

Many companies offer their employees the opportunity to get vaccinated by a company doctor. Ask your personnel / human resources department whether your company offers a vaccination programme for employees.

Please don’t forget to bring your International Certificate of Vaccination to your appointment. If you don’t have one, they are readily available from pharmacies, medical practices or your local health authority (‘Gesundheitsamt’).

4. Pharmacies

Many pharmacies in Lower Saxony now also offer vaccinations. They provide first, second or booster shots.
You can enter your postcode on the website www.mein-apothekenmanager.de to find pharmacies near you that are participating in this vaccination programme.

Please don’t forget to bring your International Certificate of Vaccination when you go to one of them for a vaccination. If you don’t have one, they are readily available from pharmacies, medical practices or your local health authority (‘Gesundheitsamt’).

Are there people who shouldn’t be vaccinated?

Do I need to get vaccinated after recovery from a previous infection with the virus?

Yes, you do. It is recommended that persons previously infected with the virus should be vaccinated 4 weeks after recovery from the infection.

Can I or should I also get my child between the age of 12 and 17 vaccinated?

Yes, absolutely. At least according to the recommendations of the experts of the Permanent Vaccination Commission of the Robert Koch Institute and the Public Health Agency of Lower Saxony. Children and young persons from the age of 12 years also require three vaccinations. These vaccines are highly effective and provide good protection against getting seriously ill with a COVID-19 infection only in the case of full vaccination. The benefits of vaccination by far outweigh the risks.

What about younger children?

According to the recommendation of the Permanent Vaccination Commission, children between the ages of five and eleven should also be immunised with a COVID-19 vaccine.
In contrast to the conventional BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, the vaccine administered to children between the ages of five and eleven has a lower dosage and is differently packaged.

The Permanent Vaccination Commission further recommends that:

• Children with a prior history of disease should receive basic immunisation with two vaccinations and a booster shot.


• Healthy children should receive basic immunisation with two doses of a vaccine if they regularly come into close contact with persons with a high risk of serious illness from a COVID-19 infection who are themselves not immunised against infection by vaccination.


• All other healthy children should initially receive only a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Can vaccines have side-effects?

Side-effects may occur, as with any other vaccine. Muscle pain at or around the injection site is one of the most common side-effects. Other possible side-effects are fever, tiredness and headache.

Vaccinations for expecting and breast-feeding mothers

The Permanent Vaccination Commission of the Robert Koch Institute recommends vaccination against coronavirus to protect you and your unborn baby. Vaccination with two shots of an mRNA vaccine can be administered from the 2nd third of pregnancy.
As of now, vaccination against COVID-19 with an mRNA vaccine is also recommended for unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated breast-feeding mothers.
Please mention any concerns you may have to your gynaecologist and take his or her advice.

Vaccination is also especially recommended for all women who would like to have children.

If you are not yet pregnant or are planning to start a family, you can, and should, get vaccinated, at all costs before getting pregnant. Getting vaccinated will protect both you and the baby that’s on the way against getting seriously ill with COVID-19.

I have been vaccinated abroad with a vaccine not approved in the EU. Am I classed as fully vaccinated in Germany?

If you have been vaccinated abroad with a vaccine not approved in the EU, such as CoronaVac from Sinovac, Covilo from Sinopharm, Covaxin from Bharat Biotech International Ltd. and Sputnik V from Gamelaya, you are not classed as fully vaccinated under German law.

In order to achieve basic immunisation, you require two vaccinations, plus a booster vaccination after three months, with one of the vaccines approved in Germany/the EU from the manufacturers Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Biontech, Novavax or AstraZeneca.

All vaccines approved in the EU have undergone an extensive process of trials and approvals. All these vaccinations are extremely safe and offer you excellent protection against a severe case of Covid-19.

Who comes into question for a booster shot with a COVID-19 vaccine?

As the protection provided by vaccination diminishes over time, it is essential to get a booster shot to refresh the immune response and assure ongoing protection against serious progression of COVID-19 infections.
The Permanent Vaccination Commission of the Robert Koch Institute (STIKO) recommends booster shots for all persons from the age of 12.

A third vaccination (booster shot) provides even more effective protection against illness and should be given after a period of at least three months after the second vaccination.

The Permanent Vaccination Commission of the Robert Koch Institute (STIKO) recommends booster shots for all persons from the age of 12. This also applies to expecting mothers from the second third of pregnancy.

An mRNA vaccine should be administered for booster shots, regardless of which vaccine was administered in the course of the previous vaccination.

Furthermore, the Permanent Vaccination Commission has also updated its COVID-19 vaccination recommendations for children aged five and over who have a prior history of disease and/or immune deficiencies.

Persons vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
Persons who have so far been vaccinated with a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine must be vaccinated a second and third time. Only this can assure them the protection of basic immunisation. Although second and third vaccinations with the Johnson&Johnson vaccine are also possible, the Permanent Vaccination Commission of the Robert Koch Institute (STIKO) recommends mRNA vaccines because they achieve a better immune response and therefore give you the best protection

Multiple use of the Johnson&Johnson vaccine is seen as advisable only if you are allergic to PEG (polyethylene glycol). PEG is contained in both mRNA vaccines, but is not present in the Johnson&Johnson vaccine.
Although vaccination with the Johnson&Johnson vaccine provides very reliable protection against serious progression of the illness, breakthrough infections in recipients – i.e. coronavirus infections despite vaccination – are a little more frequent than is the case with mRNA vaccines.

Should I get vaccinated after a previous infection with the virus?
Yes, absolutely. Persons from the age of 12 who have recovered from a SARS CoV 2 infection confirmed by PCR testing should receive a dose of COVID-19 vaccine after a period of at least three months after the infection. The vaccine may be given as soon as four weeks after the end of the COVID-19-symptoms if, for example, infection with a newly identified variant of the virus against which recovery from a previous SARS CoV 2 alone does not provide sufficient long-term immunity. We advise you to speak to your doctor about this.

You are considered to be fully vaccinated and protected after only one dose of vaccine.

You should get a booster shot after a period of three months.

Please note: It has been determined that recovery from a coronavirus infection generally provides only temporary protection against reinfection. In view of this, we also advise persons who have recovered from a coronavirus infection to decide in favour of additional vaccination. A so-called ‘booster shot’ contributes significantly to the reduction of the risk of reinfection or a serious progression of the illness. How to protect yourself and others.

Who should get vaccinated for the fourth time?

The Permanent Vaccination Commission of the Robert Koch Institute (STIKO) recommends a fourth vaccination (second booster) for

• Persons aged 70 and over,
• Residents and persons in care in retirement homes, care homes or nursing homes,
• Persons aged five and over with immune deficiencies.

The second booster shot should be given at the earliest three months after the first booster shot with an mRNA vaccine.

Personnel in medical and healthcare facilities should be given the second booster shot at the earliest after a period of six months.

Where can I get a booster shot?

Booster shots are available from registered medical practitioners. Please consult your family doctor for more information. If you don’t have a family doctor, you can find doctors who can vaccinate you at www.arztauskunft-niedersachsen.de

You can also contact your paediatrician when you have children and youngsters under the age of 18.

You can also get a booster shot from a mobile vaccination team or at a fixed vaccination location organised by your community.