Corona: 2020 Flu Vaccination Recommendations and Bottleneck Information

This year, the rush for flu vaccination is particularly high, also due to Corona. What do doctors and experts advise? Is there a bottleneck? An overview.

Hamm – Many family doctors today can hardly complain of little work. The rush to practice is great. With all the numbers on the rise, the reason is not coronavirus *, at least not directly. (Coronavirus News)

The ride on one Influenza vaccination it is higher this year than it has been in a long time. Because of COVID-19. Why so many experts and even federal ministers of health Jens Spahn advertises now because of the Corona-Pandemics that people of certain groups should be vaccinated. write it down wade*.

Influenza vaccination sought in the Corona era: people fear bottlenecks – expert recommendation

Often it is one Influence not harmless like a common cold. About 25,000 deaths are estimated to have been caused by the flu in Germany’s extraordinarily heavy wave of 2017/18.

A flu vaccination, whose symptoms can be similar to those of a coronavirus infection, is therefore more popular than ever. Many people now fear a bottleneck in Influenza vaccination. Right?

Influenza vaccination in the Corona era: are there really bottlenecks?

Yes, it can actually be local and temporal too Delivery bottlenecks come on, said Federal Health Minister Spahn. “But that doesn’t mean we have bottlenecks in the supply of this flu vaccine,” added the CDU politician.

According to its own information, the Federal Ministry of Health has ordered 26 million doses for this season. “So many Vaccination doses they have never been available for flu vaccination in Germany, “Spahn explained Flu vaccine However, it will not be delivered in a day, but will be available gradually. It makes sense to get vaccinated in November or December.

Influenza vaccination in Corona times: what is recommended?

In the corona pandemic, influenza vaccination is particularly important risk groups recommended as elderly and chronically ill. The goal is to avoid super infections from other dangerous pathogens, but also to keep the number of hospital admissions for influenza as low as possible.

One is recommended Influenza vaccination in addition, for medical staff in hospitals, nursing and elderly care facilities and the health sector, as well as for pregnant women and residents in retirement or retirement homes.

Doris Pfeiffer, the chief executive of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds: “In recent years, only one in three high-risk patients has been vaccinated. There are too few of them. “He called” to die particularly vulnerable insured persons“For vaccination. The The cash registers cover the costs for this group.

Influenza vaccination in the Corona era: what will the next flu season be like?

The course of the flu is different every year, so it’s hard to predict. From the expert point of view, it is especially important to keep the number of cases low this season – due to Crown! Meanwhile, a company is on the verge of a breakthrough in developing a corona vaccine.

The problem: if there were numerous sufferers of both pathogens at the same time, it could be the Hospitals overload. However, the development in winter in the southern hemisphere – Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and America – can give cause for optimism: the flu epidemic has “practically failed”, said the president of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). Lothar Wieler.

Flu vaccination: do the rules of the crown help here too?

Keeping your distance from other people, washing your hands frequently, wearing a face mask, and ventilating regularly – what against Crown is recommended, benefits from RKI even to that Risk of influenza virus infection reduce.

Also overall it would occur because of the Covid-19 measures fewer infectious diseases, Wieler said. There has been no case of measles in this country since about March. The Confinement In the spring, the latest flu wave probably ended: according to RKI data, it lasted eleven weeks and was shorter than the flu waves of the previous five seasons.

The flu shot in the days of the Crown: wouldn’t it make sense for everyone?

In a statement in July, the Standing Commission for Vaccinations (Stiko) opposed the idea of ​​vaccination for all: also because then the vaccine it may not be sufficient for risk groups.

To protect people and relieve health systems, the greatest effect can be achieved if vaccination rates are “significantly increased”, especially in risk groups, he said. Some health insurances announced however, all have insured the Free flu vaccination due to the corona pandemic to offer.

Flu vaccination: can you get the coronavirus at the same time?

The virologist Hendrik Streeck recently said the dpa: “Simultaneous infections with influenza and another virus are very, very unlikely.” The immune system is so alarmed at the time of an infection that further infection with another viral disease occurs very rarely. (with dpa material) * wa.de is part of the Ippen-Digital network.

Heading list: © Sven Hoppe / dpa