The corona pandemic may have wiped out the flu virus B. The WHO therefore now recommends a change to the vaccines.
Frankfurt – The frosty season is approaching and with it the season of flu. During the corona pandemic, the influenza viruses almost faded into the background, as the usual flu waves almost did not occur in many places or were milder than usual due to the measures against the coronavirus. But now it is even more important not to neglect them. Not only are corona infections currently increasing, significant flu waves are also expected again.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), an estimated five to 20 percent of the population, i.e. up to 16 million people, become infected with the flu during a wave, depending on the intensity. The statistics also only record laboratory-confirmed cases, so the number of actual infections must be assumed to be much higher. From an expert perspective, Germans are still not using the flu vaccination enough given these numbers. The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) particularly recommends the following groups of people to get the flu vaccination:
- all people from 60 years
- all pregnant women from the 2nd trimester, in the case of increased health risks due to an underlying disease from the 1st trimester
- People with increased health hazard as a result of an underlying disease (such as chronic diseases of the respiratory system, heart or circulatory diseases, liver or kidney diseases, diabetes or other metabolic diseases, chronic underlying neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis with attacks triggered by infections, congenital or acquired immune deficiency or HIV)
- inhabitant of Retirement or nursing homes
- People who live in the same household or are looked after by them as a possible source of infection People at risk (see above).
- People at increased risk from their Profession (e.g. medical staff)
- People in facilities with extensive public traffic
- People who are considered possible Source of infection can act for at-risk people they care for
After the corona pandemic: Viruses can spread more easily because masks are no longer required
The years of the corona pandemic have partly improved the conditions for influenza viruses: “Many children and adults lack immunity due to previous infections in the pandemic years,” says Folke Brinkmann, head of the Department of Pediatric Lung Medicine at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein. Now the viruses could spread even more easily because the regulations for masks and minimum distance no longer apply.
In one aspect, however, the corona measures have worked successfully against flu viruses: the influenza variant B/Yamagata has not been detected since March 2020 report the World Health Organization (WHO). This is due to the mask requirement introduced by the pandemic and the reduction in social contacts, as experts explain. These measures have resulted in a significant reduction in seasonal influenza waves worldwide. Several flu virus strains only appeared sporadically.
Corona pandemic: Did it wipe out the B/Yamagata flu virus?
There is a possibility that the flu virus variant B/Yamagata has been completely eradicated due to the corona pandemic. Therefore, the WHO and the FDA are now recommending that the associated component no longer be used in future flu vaccines. “There is currently no advantage to Yamagata in the vaccine,” David Wentworth, head of the WHO global influenza surveillance network, told the American pharmaceutical information service Stat.
The question of whether another, more significant component should be added to standard flu vaccines is still up for debate. First of all, however, the experts advocate using existing resources more intensively. The flu statistics from Australia indicate that a significant wave can be expected here too, says Markus Beier, chairman of the Association of General Practitioners in Berlin. He called on the groups that fall under the recommendation of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) to use the vaccination in order to get through the winter months “as harmlessly as possible”. (n/a)
Machine assistance was used for this article written by the editorial team. The article was carefully reviewed by editor Teresa Toth before publication.