Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, haemophilus influenzae b, poliomyelitis

Tetanus, which has a mortality rate of 25% in Germany, can be avoided by consistent vaccination in childhood and adolescence with a booster vaccine for adults every 10 years. The set-up of a diphtheria vaccination tarts in infancy and continues with booster vaccines during the pre-school age checkup (age of 5-6 years) and at the age of 11-18 years. For adults, boaster vaccines every 10 years are necessary. In Germany high numbers of pertussis diseases with an increasing shift to the adult age require the set-up of a vaccination in infancy and a booster vaccine for adolescence. Hib diseases have been reduced by 95% after the establishment of a vaccination program in 1990. This is the result of a high vaccination rate in infancy. One main target of the WHO is to wipe out polio worldwide. As in Germany,since 1991 no autochthonous diseases have been recorded. Combined vaccination with the inactivated polio vaccine is available, while oral vaccination is no longer recommended in Germany.