Health Blog – Tips & Guides from Doctors

An older person's hand gently holding a baby's small hand

Prevention & vaccinations

Whooping cough vaccination for adults: how often and when

Once with your next tetanus booster, in every pregnancy and before a grandchild is born: when adults in Germany should be vaccinated against whooping cough, and why it mainly protects babies.

Dr. Martin Privoznik

Specialist in internal medicine

October 21, 2026 · 5 min read

Apps on prescription (DiGA): how to get a health app prescribed

Around 60 apps have been reviewed and approved by Germany's medical devices authority, and statutory health insurance pays for them in full. How to get from prescription to activation code, what privately insured people should know and how to recognise a genuine DiGA.

October 21, 2026 · 5 min read

Smiling patient talking with a doctor at a desk in a consultation room

Doctor visits & practice

Finding an English-speaking doctor in Germany

The official doctor search has an English filter, but phone lines are German-only and interpreters are rarely covered. How newcomers find a GP who speaks English, and what to bring to the first visit.

October 19, 2026 · 5 min read

Man with a mug on the sofa talking to a doctor on a video call on his smartphone

Doctor visits & practice

Sick notes by video or phone: what is allowed in Germany

Up to three days for new patients, up to seven for known ones: the rules for getting signed off sick without visiting a practice, why an online questionnaire is not enough, and what you need to tell your employer.

October 19, 2026 · 6 min read

Hand in a blue glove pressing a plaster onto a patient's upper arm after a vaccination

Prevention & vaccinations

Flu and COVID vaccination in autumn: who needs them and when

Flu shots every year from 60, COVID boosters now only from 75 or with a chronic condition: what Germany's vaccination committee recommends this autumn, the best timing and who pays.

October 19, 2026 · 7 min read

Woman with a cold holding a tissue at her laptop, searching online for a GP practice

Doctor visits & practice

Finding a GP online: how to go about it

New in town, or is your old practice closing? Which online directories really help, how to tell whether a practice suits you, and who supports you if no one is taking new patients.

October 15, 2026 · 6 min read

Woman with a cold on the sofa booking a doctor’s appointment with her smartphone and health insurance card

Doctor visits & practice

Booking a doctor's appointment online: all your options

Platform, 116117, practice website, health insurer or video: which option fits your concern and your insurance, when you need a referral, and where hidden costs can lurk.

October 15, 2026 · 6 min read

Girl sitting on a wooden floor packing clothes into two suitcases for a long-haul trip

Travel medicine

Long-Haul Travel with Children: What You Should Know

The age at which each travel vaccination is possible, which mosquito protection works for toddlers, and when a fever after the trip is an emergency: a health overview for families before a long-haul trip.

July 22, 2026 · 6 min read

Pharmacy window at night with a red neon “Prescriptions” sign and shelves full of medicines

Travel medicine

The Perfect Travel First Aid Kit: A Checklist to Tick Off

From a fever thermometer to the certificate for narcotic medications: what belongs in your travel first aid kit, what to add for the tropics and for children, and how your medications get through heat and flights in good shape.

July 22, 2026 · 4 min read

Person in a straw hat at a street food stall in Thailand under red umbrellas

Travel medicine

Which vaccinations do I need for Thailand?

Hepatitis A for everyone, other vaccinations depending on how you travel, dengue only in special cases and hardly any malaria prophylaxis: what STIKO, DTG and the German Federal Foreign Office recommend for Thailand, with a timeline and costs.

July 22, 2026 · 9 min read

The Health Blog for Your Wellbeing

Whooping cough vaccination for adults: how often and when

Latest articles

Apps on prescription (DiGA): how to get a health app prescribed

Finding an English-speaking doctor in Germany

Sick notes by video or phone: what is allowed in Germany

Flu and COVID vaccination in autumn: who needs them and when

Finding a GP online: how to go about it

Booking a doctor's appointment online: all your options

Long-Haul Travel with Children: What You Should Know

The Perfect Travel First Aid Kit: A Checklist to Tick Off

Which vaccinations do I need for Thailand?