In Bavaria, every person with statutory health insurance gets the flu jab paid for – not just older or chronically ill people. That is the upshot of a circular from the Bavarian association of statutory health insurance physicians (KVB) for the 2026/27 season: Bavarian insurers reimburse the vaccination as a statutory-by-law benefit (Satzungsleistung), regardless of the official vaccination guidelines. There is time until mid-December, but October is the best moment.
Protection only builds up 10 to 14 days after the jab, and the flu season in Germany typically runs from October into May. The Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) names October to mid-December as the window.
Who STIKO explicitly recommends it for
The core group includes everyone aged 60 and over, pregnant women from the second trimester (from the first if they have a chronic condition), people with chronic illnesses such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes, care-home residents and healthcare workers. For those aged 60 plus, the KVB lists two vaccines: the high-dose Efluelda or the adjuvanted Fluad. Insurers pay about €25 per dose for them and about €14 for standard vaccines.
There is no general recommendation for healthy children. The Fluenz nasal spray is licensed for children and teenagers from 24 months up to their 18th birthday, but in Bavaria, according to the KVB, it is prescribed only where medically justified – for instance with asthma or other pre-existing conditions. Ask at your paediatrician’s practice.
Doctor or pharmacy? And what about Covid?
The jab is given at your GP’s or paediatrician’s practice, and in many pharmacies too: the Bavarian pharmacists’ association has counted more than 33,000 flu vaccinations in its member pharmacies since early 2023, Pharmazeutische Zeitung reports. Around 1.29 million vaccinations were given in Bavaria in 2025/26. A quick phone call will tell you whether your pharmacy offers it.
The Covid picture has changed. In July 2026 STIKO raised the age for the annual booster for healthy people from 60 to 75. It remains recommended for people from six months old with relevant underlying conditions, care-home residents and medical staff. The Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) still has to write the change into the vaccination directive; until then entitlement to payment has not been adjusted, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) says. If you belong to a risk group, discuss the jab with your GP soon.
If you are not in statutory insurance but receive benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act, consumer advocates at Verbraucherzentrale say you are also entitled to protective vaccinations, via a treatment voucher or your municipality’s health card. Responsibilities differ by municipality; if in doubt, ask the social welfare office (Sozialamt).
Our assessment: on cost, the case for the jab is strong for almost anyone with statutory insurance in Bavaria, so the real question is timing. Those vaccinated in October or November will be protected before the usual winter rise. How strong the wave will be cannot be said in advance; at the end of September, influenza activity was still low according to the RKI.
Sources: KVB, KBV, Pharmazeutische Zeitung, Verbraucherzentrale
