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Jens Baas, head of Germany's largest health insurance company: "You protect yourself and others"
Photo: Bernd Von Jutrczenka / dpa
The head of the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), Jens Baas, has appealed to older people and patients with previous illnesses to get vaccinated against flu.
“We don't know how bad the flu is going to be.
That is why the risk groups in particular should protect themselves with a flu vaccination in the autumn, "said Baas to the editorial network Germany (RND).
TK is the largest German health insurance company;
According to their numbers, significantly more people were vaccinated against flu in the past season than in previous years.
According to an RND report, it was 18 percent of those insured with TK, in the 2019/2020 season between September and March only twelve percent.
Increasing vaccination numbers in the past flu season
The vaccination numbers increased accordingly in all age groups.
In the group aged 60 and over, it was 46.5 percent, ten percentage points more than in the previous season.
Among the 60 to 69 year olds, the proportion of flu vaccinations rose from 27 to 39 percent of those insured.
However, there were in some cases considerable differences between the various federal states: According to the TK figures, the states in the east had the highest vaccination rate.
Bavaria came in last with a rate of just 12 percent.
“It was important that more people, and especially more older people, were vaccinated against the flu in the corona pandemic.
Because, just like with the corona vaccination, the following applies: You protect yourself and others, "said cashier Baas to the RND.
This autumn, too, it will be important that the health system is not overloaded, added Baas.
The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) officially declared on Friday that a vaccination against the coronavirus and against flu can be carried out at the same time.
Between Covid-19 vaccinations and other so-called dead vaccines, "there is no longer any vaccination interval to be observed from now on."
The Stiko advises starting the influenza vaccination in October at the earliest.
hpp / afp