Glossary · Safety and consent
Vaccination protection
Protection against certain infections built up through vaccinations, which serves on set as a supplement to testing and the condom requirement.
Vaccination protection is protection against certain infectious diseases built up through vaccinations. In the working environment of performers, it supplements the rules on set; it is not a replacement: vaccination neither replaces the test certificate nor removes the condom requirement.
Vaccinations are available against some pathogens that can be transmitted through close physical contact, but not against many others. Which vaccinations make sense for you depends on your previous vaccination status, your health and your age. This is a medical question and belongs in a medical practice, not in a booking arrangement.
Why the topic matters for working in front of the camera
Anyone who regularly shoots with changing partners has a different contact profile from someone with one regular partner. Tests show whether an infection was detectable at the time the sample was taken. Condoms reduce the risk with each individual contact. Vaccinations take effect earlier by preventing certain infections from occurring in the first place. The three levels work together; none of them makes the others unnecessary.
There is also the ordinary spread of infections: many people work in close quarters on a set, in the makeup area, wardrobe and common areas. General vaccination protection therefore also plays a role in whether you are fit to work on a booked day.
May a production ask about vaccination status?
Vaccination status is health data and is subject to special legal protection. A production may ask, but you do not have to answer unless otherwise agreed by contract. If a production requires proof of vaccination as a condition, this must be known before the booking, not only on the shooting day. You can then decide whether to accept the booking under this condition.
If proof is required, the same principles apply as with the test certificate: present it rather than surrendering it, do not send copies in chats, and obtain clear information about who can see the data and when it will be deleted. Such information does not belong on a sedcard or in an application profile.
Who pays the costs
The binding cost rule for our placements concerns the STI panel, which the production pays for. Vaccinations are personal health care. Whether your health insurance covers the costs depends on the vaccination, your age and your insurer. The medical practice or the insurer can clarify this directly.
If you work as a self-employed person, it may be sensible to discuss the tax treatment of such costs with a tax advisor instead of automatically claiming them as business expenses.
Where to get advice
Your first point of contact is your general practitioner’s practice. Tell them openly that you work in front of the camera so that the advice reflects your actual working environment. Many public health offices also provide advice on vaccinations and sexual health, sometimes anonymously. The recommendations of the Standing Committee on Vaccination, which are updated regularly, also provide guidance.
Bring your vaccination record to the appointment. Without it, it is difficult to determine what is missing. The article Health on set explains how tests, deadlines and costs interact on set. This entry places the topic in the context of everyday work and does not replace medical advice.
An open question about this?
Terms explain the what, but not always how it applies to your own situation. If you want to know what this specifically means for you, ask us — it does not have to become an application. Many answers can already be found in the frequently asked questions.