Because of the corona protective measures, the flu season last year was as good as possible.
Is it going to be all the more intense this year?
And: who should be vaccinated and when?
Is there enough vaccine?
The Tölzer Kurier asked doctors and pharmacies in the district.
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen
- When it is cool outside and life shifts as much as possible inside, flu viruses are booming. In order to protect against the prevailing virus strains, the flu vaccine for the next season is put together every spring. The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) recommends immunization, especially for older people, pregnant women or those with previous illnesses. Severe progression to fatal pneumonia tends to affect older people, which is why Marion Buchkremer, family doctor from Benediktbeuern, advocates vaccinating not only teachers and educators but also people who work in retirement homes. “The more vaccination protection we have, the better,” says Buchkremer.
In healthy children and adults under 60 years of age, influenza usually proceeds without any particular complications.
There is no vaccination recommendation for them.
Nevertheless, some doctors recommend having children vaccinated against the flu, as they are often exposed to close contact with others in daycare centers or at school and can thus bring the virus home with them.
The flu vaccination is therefore also available for children as a nasal vaccine, explains Nicole Scholz, family doctor and pediatrician from Bad Heilbrunn.
Unusually high incidence of diseases in October
However, according to the Tölz pediatrician Tobias Reploh, the costs are not covered by the health insurance company, since this form of vaccination is not as effective as the one using an injection. Reploh recommends vaccinating children with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, obesity or diabetes against the flu. In order for this to be as uncomplicated as possible, the parents can also have themselves vaccinated in the group practice in which Reploh practices.
There is a special feature for the flu season this year: Because it almost failed due to the corona protective measures last winter, it could be all the more violent this year.
There is already "a strong accumulation of illnesses" with colds and flu-like infections, according to Reploh, it was "unusual for October".
The pediatrician assumes that in view of the flu and corona, “this year will be a demanding winter”.
Pressure on the health system
That is why the vaccination against influenza is particularly important this year, says Julia Wüstenfeld, a doctor at the Wolfratshausen family doctor's practice on Bahnhofstrasse. It is "particularly bad to get infected this year," she says, because of the already high strain on the health system and intensive care units due to the pandemic. Therefore, those who do not otherwise should get the flu vaccine this winter.
The most suitable time for the flu vaccination, in order to benefit from it as best as possible, is now in autumn, the doctors in the district agree on that.
So far you have observed a high willingness to vaccinate.
Matthias Bohnenberger, spokesman for general practitioners in Tölzer Land: "Overall, many more patients than usual will be vaccinated against flu this year." This is confirmed by the group practice of Heiner Müller and Anita Klement from Geretsried, among others.
Vaccination against flu and corona possible on the same day
According to pharmacists, there is enough vaccine available, unlike last year. While the medical practices that the Alte Apotheke Lenggries supplies have ordered roughly the same as in previous years, the Tölzer court pharmacies tended to order a little more from pharmacist Josef Blickenberger in the spring. Marien-Apotheke Benediktbeuern also sees itself “well positioned” with regard to flu vaccines, says owner Maren Porzelt. You can see it this way in the doctor's surgeries: "We had to reorder again," says Scholz, the family doctor in Bad Heilbrunn. Getting an additional vaccine was "not difficult".
By the way: You can get vaccinated against corona and flu on the same day without overloading the immune system.
Doctors spokesman Bohnenberger: "Because the two vaccinations are well tolerated, there are no problems with the combination either."