Status: 10/6/2021 12:24 p.m.
In autumn, Germany could face a double wave of infections from corona and flu – and thus overload the hospitals. Health Minister Spahn and RKI boss Wieler therefore called on citizens to get a particularly large number of vaccinations.
Health Minister Jens Spahn has called on Germans to have a flu vaccination. “Please get a flu vaccination,” said the CDU politician. “More than enough” vaccines have been ordered – 27 million doses are available. In the past flu season, 22 million vaccine doses were administered, significantly more than in previous years. “We would like to achieve such a quota again,” said Spahn. In this way a lot of suffering and death can be avoided.
Since there was almost no flu in Germany last year as a result of the partial lockdown, the risk of a flu epidemic this year is all the higher, said the minister. Anyone who has not yet been vaccinated against Corona can combine this with the flu vaccination and get a double vaccination at the same time. “Going to vaccinate twice also leads to double protection”. This could help to avoid overloading the health system in the further course of autumn and winter.
Risk for the elderly and the chronically ill
The head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lothar Wieler, said that it cannot be foreseen how the flu will develop. However, an increase in the number of Covid 19 cases is to be expected. Both diseases are a particular risk for the elderly and the chronically ill.
He therefore warned against a double burden on the health system. It is important to prevent too many cases of the two diseases from having to be treated at the same time, said the RKI boss. “If many Covid-19 and many flu sufferers appear at the same time, the hospitals are massively burdened.”
This would also be dangerous for other patients who needed the hospital beds. Such a scenario can best be avoided with vaccinations and the wearing of masks, keeping your distance, hygiene, ventilation and using the corona warning app, stressed Wieler.
In principle, vaccination is advisable
The flu vaccination is particularly recommended for over 60-year-olds and chronically ill people as well as pregnant women and all professional groups who have to do with these risk groups. But everyone else could also get vaccinated after consulting a doctor, said Wieler. The corona vaccination is recommended for everyone from the age of 12 – the head of the health authority again called on them to take advantage of this offer.