Vaccination status of elite athletes in the German Armed Forces: a retrospective descriptive overview

Purpose: Vaccination of athletes is an effective preventive intervention to maintain athletic performance. Data reporting the vaccination status of elite athletes are limited. Aim of this study was to provide an overview about the vaccination status in elite athletes who were affiliated to the German Armed Forces. Materials and Methods: Six hundred seventy athletes were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Statistical analysis was performed using McNemar's test, φ coefficient and logistic regression. Results: The 0.3% of all included athletes had a complete vaccination status as recommended by the German Standing Commission on Vaccination when they started their career. Regarding the different kinds of vaccination, there was a range from 3.0% (influenza) to 69.6% (mumps, measles, rubella). Although a valid vaccination status is mandatory for soldiers, only 6.3% of the athletes had a valid one at the time of data collection. During the observation period, only few athletes worsened their vaccination status. Specific differences could be seen for different kinds of sports. Swimmers and sleigh drivers were almost completely below average. The vaccination status among Taekwondo Fighters and Fencers were almost entirely above average. Worse vaccination status was found for vaccinations that required more frequent repetition. The vaccination status was comparable for vaccinations that are available as combination vaccines. Conclusion: Although a complete vaccination status was mandatory, there were vaccination gaps. It seems necessary to be more stringent in the prevention of vaccination gaps. Athletes, physicians, and sports associations should cooperate to find an effective way to get optimum prevention.