Health: A noticeable flu wave threatens entertainment

The term influenza is sometimes used casually to refer to harmless symptoms such as malaise and runny nose that are caused by entirely different pathogens. However, true influenza has more serious consequences, with complications occurring in some patients. It is estimated that about 25,000 people died in the deadliest flu wave in decades in Germany in the 2017/2018 season. Wave intensity can vary greatly from season to season.

What the flu vaccine can do — and what it can’t do

Vaccination is the most important measure against the disease, even if it does not provide 100% protection against infection, the RKI wrote. Nicola Bohlinger-Goepfart, First Vice-President of the Association of General Practitioners, emphasizes this: You should not give people a false promise that they will not get sick thanks to vaccination. Instead, patients should be explained that vaccination prevented something worse from happening: “They didn’t end up in the ICU. They didn’t get pneumonia.” Experts also emphasized the benefits of vaccination in preventing influenza-related heart disease.

The influenza epidemic in Australia affected many children

What is particularly striking in Australia is that children and young people are often affected. Many of them had symptoms so severe that they were transferred to intensive care, as The Australian Guardian reported in July. In both Australia and New Zealand, influenza epidemics also began much earlier than usual. Experts are convinced that it was the lifting of strict coronavirus measures that led to the influenza epidemic in the first place.

“Fortunately, children are rarely seriously affected, but when the number of infections is very high, more children become seriously ill,” Brinkmann explains. Children under five years of age and children with pre-existing diseases often suffer from severe cases. In rare cases, even healthy children can become seriously ill.

The incoming president of the German Interdisciplinary Society for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (Divi), Florian Hoffmann, is holding back on his predictions for Germany due to several uncertainties – but developments in Australia should be taken seriously. He urgently called for timely vaccination of at-risk groups and all healthcare workers. The chief physician at Dr. Hospital said: From the Hannerschen Children’s Hospital in Munich.

Who is recommended to get the flu vaccine?

Stiko does not recommend that all German citizens receive the required annual vaccination. Only people over 60 years of age, pregnant women, children (from six months of age) and adults with certain pre-existing diseases. In addition, healthy people are at greater risk because of their jobs, such as doctors and nurses. Quadrivalent vaccines containing the current antigen combination recommended by WHO should be used. This changes every year because influenza viruses are so versatile. More effective vaccines in higher doses should be used for older people. There are overlaps between the groups and Stiko’s recommendation for the new coronavirus booster vaccination. If you want, you can get both vaccines at the same time.

RKI wants to conduct the evaluation next

As usual, the RKI just wants to evaluate the wave intensity afterwards. He emphasizes that, for example, an extreme trajectory in one state cannot be inferred from a similar trajectory in another. Its severity depends largely on the underlying immunity of the population and which subtypes were widespread in previous years.

In Germany, so-called inactivated vaccines are usually used against influenza, which cannot cause disease. However, vaccination reactions with cold-like symptoms are possible. Real flu usually starts suddenly: for example, with a high temperature, muscle aches, headache, and a distinct feeling of illness. In addition, there is usually a dry, irritating cough.