Germany has imported several thousand doses of flu vaccines from EU countries because of the vaccine shortage. Nevertheless, there are bottlenecks in the supply in some places. Alone to Berlin 3000 doses have been ordered, said a spokeswoman for the State Office for Health and Social Affairs. The Saarland received, according to information from the State Pharmacy "very small amounts" of vaccines from Poland and France, but now no longer available.
Pharmacies in Schleswig-Holstein would have received vaccines "in the four-digit range" from abroad, mainly from Great Britain, said the Managing Director of the State Pharmacy, Frank Jaschkowski. "With it smaller supply gaps could be closed." According to estimates, a few thousand Schleswig-Holsteiners could not be vaccinated against the flu because the vaccine was missing.
In other states, such as Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony, there are no major problems with the vaccines, according to the authorities. Yet inventories are not enough to make up for national bottlenecks.
Bottlenecks despite increased production
For this season, the Paul Ehrlich Institute had released 15.7 million doses, about one million more than had been used in the preseason. Nevertheless, bottlenecks already occurred in the autumn. The Federal Ministry of Health therefore allowed the import of flu vaccines in November.
In the past season, the flu raged particularly violent. Experts believe that this year more people wanted to be vaccinated against the infection. In addition, only a quadruple vaccine is used, which is considered more effective than one with three components, as it was often used in recent years.
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People at special risk should still be vaccinated at present - if vaccine is still present in the region, said the spokeswoman of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Susanne Glasmacher. However, it takes up to two weeks before vaccination protection is established. The flu season usually begins in December or January. So far, however, the RKI has not detected any increased numbers of infections.
Who should get vaccinated?
- Doctors recommend the vaccine especially people who can be particularly dangerous to a flu infection. This includes:
- People over 60,
- Pregnant women from the second trimester (then the baby is also protected during the first months of life),
- chronically ill
- medical staff and carers because of their increased risk of infection and the greater risk of transmitting the pathogen to patients,
- Residents of nursing homes.
The past flu epidemic had already ranked the RKI as the strongest in years. Presumably died in Germany more than 20,000 people, especially the elderly.
Experts have been criticizing for some time that the benefits of vaccination are often underestimated. According to a survey, only 40 percent of those who are recommended to have a vaccine actually immunize.
Many underestimate a flu and confuse it with a flu infection. However, the symptoms of the flu are much stronger. Even in uncomplicated cases, influenza lasts five to seven days. In the worst case, life-threatening complications such as lung or heart muscle inflammation may occur. Especially older, younger and immunocompromised people are at risk.
Although the vaccine does not protect 100% from infection, it is considered the best remedy for the flu. About half a million flu illnesses are thereby avoided in Germany per year, estimates the Robert Koch Institute.