Pneumococcal vaccination at the pharmacy

Since 2 July 2026, trained pharmacists have been allowed to vaccinate adults against pneumococcal disease, with no doctor’s appointment and no referral. Before that, a pharmacy could only vaccinate against flu and COVID-19. § 20c of the Infektionsschutzgesetz, Germany’s Infection Protection Act, allows this for people aged 18 and over.

Pneumococci are bacteria. According to the Robert Koch-Institut, they live in the nose and throat, usually without causing symptoms. They can cause diseases of the upper and lower airways, including pneumonia.

Not every pharmacy offers the vaccination yet. Only pharmacists trained by a physician may give it, and the law does not oblige any pharmacy to vaccinate. The pharmacies that offer it are listed further down this page.

Who the vaccination is recommended for

People aged 60 and over, and people of any age with a raised risk of severe pneumococcal disease. That is the 2026 recommendation of the Ständige Impfkommission, Germany’s standing committee on vaccination at the Robert Koch-Institut. For the first group it is a Standardimpfung, a standard vaccination by age, and for the second an Indikationsimpfung, given because of a pre-existing condition.

The age limit is 60 because, according to the Robert Koch-Institut, pneumococcal disease is particularly common from that age. The recommendation names these risk groups:

• congenital or acquired immune deficiency, for example HIV infection, cancer, a missing or non-functioning spleen, treatment that suppresses the immune system, or chronic kidney failure
• other chronic diseases: asthma, COPD and other diseases of the airways, heart and circulatory disease, diabetes treated with tablets or insulin, a seizure disorder
• anatomical features or foreign bodies that make pneumococcal meningitis more likely, for example a cochlear implant or a leak of brain fluid

The recommendation also covers work that produces metal fumes, such as welding and cutting metal.

Outside these groups, the vaccination is still possible. Whether it makes sense for you is something to discuss with the pharmacy or your doctor’s practice.

How often the vaccination is given

For people aged 60 and over, the 2026 recommendation sets a single vaccination. Since there are no data on how long the protection lasts, the Ständige Impfkommission currently recommends no repeat vaccination for any group.

What your health insurer pays

Statutory health insurance pays for the recommended groups. Annex 1 of the Schutzimpfungs-Richtlinie lists exactly which groups those are. This directive is issued by the Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss, the body that decides what statutory health insurance covers. Under § 20i of the Fünftes Sozialgesetzbuch, Book V of the German Social Code, it bases the directive on the Ständige Impfkommission’s recommendations.

An insurer may also pay beyond that list, as a Satzungsleistung, an extra benefit under its own rules. Otherwise you pay yourself. Each pharmacy sets its own price, so ask there before you book an appointment.