Munich – November 03, 2026 -- Germany's Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) recommends meningococcal B vaccination for all children from two months until their fifth birthday, and health insurers across Germany cover the cost. For Stefanie, who survived meningococcal sepsis at age two, the shots did not yet exist.
A harmless-looking fever turned life-threatening within hours
Stefanie was playing in the garden that afternoon when a fever set in. Her mother assumed an ordinary infection. During the night, the child's condition became critical: her fever climbed to 41 degrees, she stopped responding, and red spots appeared on her skin.
Her mother fetched a doctor who lived nearby, and he recognized the seriousness at once. In the hospital, doctors diagnosed meningococcal sepsis. Her circulation had already begun to fail. Doctors later told her mother that 30 minutes more would have left them unable to help.
Stefanie recovered with almost no lasting damage
Today only a few scars remain. As a mother of two, Stefanie says she now understands the fear her parents went through, and she had her own children vaccinated against meningococci without hesitation.
She says she is glad parents can now protect their children, and she argues that a child's health should not depend on a chain of luck.
STIKO also recommends ACWY shots for teenagers
Besides the B vaccination for young children, STIKO recommends the ACWY vaccination for adolescents. Parents can get advice from their pediatrician. Stefanie's interview is part of "Meningitis bewegt.", an awareness campaign initiated by GSK that works with affected people to encourage parents to ask about vaccination.