Flu vaccine is scarce in Parts of Germany

Some regions of Germany the flu vaccine: “If all the suppliers currently get nothing,” said Stefan Fink from the Thuringian pharmacists Association. Also from other Federal States such as Saarland, Saxony, lower Saxony and Hesse, delays in delivery or shortages be reported.

“The patients have started this year may be much earlier, to get vaccinated,” said Susanne stoecker, spokeswoman for the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute (PEI). “If more people get vaccinated, or vaccination only in the past held, we can’t know yet.” She holds the great wave of Flu in the past season, for a possible trigger for the current interest. This is probably more people are aware of the issue.

Other experts suspect the reason for the apparently higher demand for groups at risk – as the Fund performance, available four-fold vaccine. He is considered to be more effective than one with three components.

The Ministry of health cites as possible causes for the defect in addition to a higher demand for a delay in the ordering of flu vaccines by Physicians and pharmacists, to large inventories in some doctor’s offices and pharmacies, as well as direct contracts between health insurance funds and pharmacists.

Relaxation of rules for procurement

In the face of regional shortages, Minister of health, Jens Spahn (CDU) relaxed rules for the procurement. Accordingly, the länder can allow for regional requirements that pharmacies and doctor’s offices among themselves with the flu vaccine supply and that of other countries in the European Union-related vaccines in the pharmacy to be dispensed.

“It must be clear: Anyone who wants to can be vaccinated against influenza,” said Spahn the editorial network in Germany. A total of 15.7 million doses, according to the Ministry available in Germany. The are about a Million more than in the previous year were used.

The pharmaceutical companies can produce for this season, no flu vaccine. It takes about six months to produce a conventional vaccine, to egg white base, said a spokeswoman for the manufacturer, Sanofi. “The number of pre-orders, we’ll pack a certain amount of safety margin, but we can’t produce for 80 million people.” The orders came mostly from wholesalers, and pharmacists. The way to order vaccines are in the States different.

The Robert Koch Institute advises, in particular, people over 60, Pregnant women, the chronically ill, medical personnel and residents of nursing homes to a flu vaccination. The best time for vaccination is in October or November – but it is also possible at a later stage, it will take 10 to 14 days, until the protective effect.

Between December 2017 and April 2018, the approximately 60,000 flu patients had to be treated in hospital. It has been shown to have died Lich 1665 patients to the consequences of the infection. Most of the victims were at least 60 years old (87 percent) and many had pre-existing conditions.

BBC documentary “forever fit: the wonders of the plant immune system”

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