In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic: WHO warns of flu vaccine shortages - but there is a ray of hope

In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization is warning of shortages with the flu vaccine.

The reason is the high demand.

• The demand for the flu vaccine is currently high.

• The WHO warns of difficulties.

• In Germany, 16.5 million vaccine doses have already been released.

Geneva - The view of

and

worries many experts.

In addition to the continuing increase in the number of coronaviruses in Germany and countries that

seem to be slipping

into a

, the upcoming flu season is also in view.

Health Minister

recently announced a new corona strategy for the cold season in Germany.

should be central contact points for patients by

means of so-called

.

“It's about having an infrastructure that ensures that people don't get infected with one another in the waiting room.

That makes sense for Corona * and also with the flu and a possible flu epidemic, "said Spahn on Monday (September 21) in Berlin. But now the

is warning

about the

.

Coronavirus: WHO urgently warns of flu vaccine shortages

Due to the great demand for the

the World Health Organization warns of a possible

A new

suggests that countries that have not ordered enough vaccine should prioritize and vaccinate caregivers and the elderly first.

A higher need became apparent due to the coronavirus pandemic in April, said

, the head of the WHO vaccination program in

on Friday 

.

The vaccine does not protect against the Covid 19 disease caused by the virus.

With extensive 

, however, governments wanted to prevent as many severe flu courses as possible in order to have beds ready for Covid 19 patients in hospitals.

are possible because health services could not estimate the increased need when ordering, said Moen.

You have to order the remedy nine to twelve months before the start of the season.

Some manufacturers have expanded their capacities.

Meanwhile, the first city in the world has developed herd immunity against the corona virus.

Coronavirus pandemic: shortage of flu vaccine - but there is also a bright spot

Whether a

or a coronavirus infection * is present can only be determined in the laboratory, said Moen.

In addition to symptoms of flu such as runny nose and fever, the loss of the

of

an indication of a possible infection * with the coronavirus.

Sick patients should therefore keep an eye on their symptoms, take care of themselves at home and seek medical advice in the event of significant deterioration.

However, there was a ray of hope from the

: In the flu season there, significantly fewer people fell ill than in previous years.

While ten to 30 percent of the patient swabs examined showed influenza infections in normal years, it was less than one percent in the past season, according to Moen.

such as keeping

distance,

and wearing

, which also protected against flu

, should have helped

.

Influenza season in Germany: 16.5 million doses of vaccine released

As the

publicly announced via Twitter, 16.5 million doses of flu vaccine for the winter season 2020/21 were

tested and approved

for

.

More doses of influenza vaccine are now available in the market.

The Paul Ehrlich Institute has already tested and approved 16.5 million doses of #Grippe | vaccine for the 2020/21 winter season.

Further information & current figures:

↪️https: //t.co/Fnnqa0PGEu pic.twitter.com/yHFntkAlRO

- Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) (@PEI_Germany) September 17, 2020

Meanwhile, researchers * are doing everything they

can to find

a

for the

.

A US manufacturer recently started the crucial test phase and referred to a special feature of the agent.