Germany stops requiring COVID-19 vaccination for members of military

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The vaccine mandate had been in place since 2021.

German soldiers no longer have to prove that they are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Members of Germany’s armed forces, called the Bundeswehr, are required to be vaccinated against diseases such as measles, mumps and the flu.

The COVID-19 vaccine was added to the list in November 2021.

But the requirement was dropped following recommendations from the Bundeswehr’s chief medical officer and a military medical advisory committee, ministry spokesperson Mitko Müller said.

It has been replaced by a strong recommendation to get the vaccine.

News of the decision came as Germany’s Federal Administrative Court considered a complaint by a noncommissioned officer in the navy against the continued vaccination requirement.

Germany contemplated a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all adults in the country in late 2021 and early 2022, but some government lawmakers and most of the opposition were against the idea.

In April 2022, lawmakers rejected a narrower bill that would have required all people 60 and over to be vaccinated.