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Influenza vaccinations are recommended despite weaknesses
The Federal Center for Health Education, Paul Ehrlich Institute and the Robert Koch Institute are currently calling for influenza vaccination. In the last flu epidemic especially older people were affected. However, the flu is underestimated - and a vaccine is often rejected. The vaccine is often ineffective.
The flu season 2016/2017 was a severe flu episode and has hit especially the elderly hard. This is shown by the new seasonal influenza report, published by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Influenza at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). "Unfortunately, the vaccination rates are particularly low among older people, at about 35 percent," says Prof. Dr. med. Lothar H. Wieler, President of the RKI. Although the efficacy of influenza vaccine is not optimal, due to the frequency of influenza many cases of illness and severe disease can be prevented. "Despite the fluctuating vaccine effectiveness, vaccination is the most important measure to protect against a disease," emphasizes Wieler. In order to reduce the risk of influenza infection, regular and thorough hand washing with soap as well as distance to diseased persons are recommended in addition to vaccination.
High fever and body aches are the main symptoms of influenza. Picture: Elnur - fotolia Especially the elderly affected by the flu
Prof. Dr. Klaus Cichutek, President of the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), explains the offer of different vaccines. "In addition to the vaccines for intramuscular injection in the upper arm, there is also a vaccine this season, which can also be injected under the skin, so subcutaneously. In addition, there will be a nasal spray vaccine for children and adolescents from two to 17 years of age and a vaccine for people over the age of 65 with potentiator. "Three tetravalent influenza vaccines will be available this season against all major circulating strains Protect influenza virus.
The Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends the flu vaccine, especially for people with an increased risk of serious illnesses. These are mainly people over 60 years, chronically ill and pregnant women. The vaccine can be given with a tri- or tetravalent influenza vaccine (three or four components). Also, medical and nursing staff should be vaccinated because of his occupational exposure. In addition to self-protection, the protection of treated patients or cared for persons is of particular importance. However, the vaccination rates are still too low for medical staff. A pilot study conducted by the Robert Koch Institute in two university hospitals showed that only about 40 percent of the hospital staff were vaccinated, 56 percent were doctors, 34 percent were nurses and 27 percent were in therapeutic professions.
Recommendation for specific occupational groups
Dr. Heidrun Thaiss, Head of the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA), emphasizes: "According to our study data, the most important contact persons in vaccination education are the physicians and the medical staff. These professional groups should lead by example, have themselves vaccinated against influenza and pass on this information. "Also this year, the BZgA has media packages with educational materials for influenza vaccination to important multipliers such as GPs, specialists of clinics, senior citizens and Nursing homes, pharmacies and the public health service sent. The brochures contained therein as well as further information on the influenza vaccine are available for download or free of charge at www.impfen-info.de/grippe. Since 2006, the BZgA and the RKI have been conducting the joint education campaign "We've gotten the flu before" for information about the influenza vaccine.
The Paul Ehrlich Institute, which as the Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedical Drugs reviews the quality of all vaccine batches before they are launched, has already released around 17 million vaccine doses. A chicken egg free vaccine is not available this season. "However, this does not need to worry people with chicken egg allergy," explains Cichutek. A study by the PEI revealed that a large number of published clinical trial results now indicate that even in persons with an allergy to chicken protein, severe allergic reactions to influenza vaccination are rare or occur no more frequently than in persons without chicken protein allergy. In case of known egg white allergy, however, the vaccinating physician should always be informed.
When is the flu time??
The optimal vaccination period is October and November. An overview of the influenza vaccines with the information on the approved age group can be found at www.pei.de/influenza-impfstoffe. For the professional public, the RKI offers on the page www.rki.de/influenza-inpfung detailed answers to frequently asked questions about the influenza vaccine.
In a flu season dominated by the influenza A (H3N2) subtype, elderly and very elderly people are particularly affected by severe disease. The data from the National Reference Center for Influenza in the Seasonal Report shows that in the 2016/2017 season more than 90 percent of the influenza viruses studied belonged to this H3N2 subtype. Among the hospital patients with severe acute respiratory illness, the severity of the age group 60 years and over was higher in the 2016/17 season than in the severe flu epidemic 2014/15 and significantly higher than in the more moderate 2015/16 season. The number of influenza-associated doctor visits was estimated at six million, lower than in 2014/2015. The data for the estimated over-all mortality attributed to influenza in the Berlin Seasonal Report (920) was clearly above the 2014/2015 season (600), nationwide data are not yet available.