Flu season reported hundreds of cases of illness

Flu season: Hundreds of cases reported

07/02/2015

In the current flu season, around 300 cases have already been reported in Brandenburg. Compared to the previous year, the numbers have multiplied. A vaccine to protect against the disease is only recommended to some people.

Flu wave in Brandenburg
According to a message from the news agency dpa, a flu epidemic is rolling through Brandenburg. According to the spokesman of the Potsdam Ministry of Health, Gabriel Hesse, said on Friday on request, the number of proven infections in January from week to week has risen continuously, to last 116 new cases this week. Thus, there have been more than 300 reported illnesses since the beginning of the flu season in autumn. „This is a significant increase, in the same period last year there were only 20 diseases“, so Hesse.

Vaccine does not work so well this year
According to Hesse, vaccination offers good protection against the virus. However, some health experts see this quite differently. It was recently announced that the vaccine is unlikely to be effective this season. The „NDR“ had reported that the composition of the vaccine was only conditionally suitable for the currently circulating virus strains. Nevertheless, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) advises people from risk groups, such as the chronically ill, with basic diseases such as diabetes, asthma or cardiovascular diseases, senior citizens or medical staff to a flu vaccine.

„Do not necessarily shake hands with everyone“
Even at this late point in time vaccination in individual cases may still make sense, according to Brandenburg. However, adequate protection does not occur until two weeks after vaccination. As the spokesman said, citizens should seek advice from their family doctor. „You should also pay attention to hygiene and not necessarily shake hands with everyone.“ The flu season has also started in Berlin. In January alone, 152 new cases were reported, according to the State Office for Health and Social Affairs. Twenty-four people have been hospitalized with severe flu since the beginning of the 2014 season.

More people due to respiratory problems in the doctor
According to data from the Working Group on Influenza in January, significantly more people went to the doctor for respiratory problems in Berlin and Brandenburg than in December. Recently, it was around 2,000 per 100,000 inhabitants. Children up to the age of four became ill very often. However, only cases in which the virus was detected in the laboratory are included in the statistics. In addition to respiratory problems, influenza usually causes symptoms such as fever, shivering, body aches or headaches. (Ad)