This year’s Oktoberfest starts on September 21st. While the anticipation of the tent, beer and chicken is growing, a less pleasant aspect is also an integral part of the Oktoberfest for Munich: the hodgepodge of respiratory infections known as “Wiesn flu”, which afflicts half of Munich after the Oktoberfest. In addition to cold viruses, this also includes the real flu (influenza) and Sars-CoV-2. Vaccines are available against the real flu and against corona – so would it be worth getting vaccinated against it now before the Oktoberfest?
What is the benefit of a vaccination against the real flu or corona?
“Regardless of the Oktoberfest, older and chronically ill people should be vaccinated against Covid-19 and influenza,” says Christoph Spinner, head of infectious diseases at the Klinikum rechts der Isar at the Technical University of Munich. The reason for this is that the vaccinations are intended to prevent a serious course of the disease, which primarily affects chronically ill and elderly people over 60 years of age. Therefore, people in the environment of chronically ill people and people working in the healthcare sector should also be vaccinated.
Neither a flu vaccination nor a corona vaccination provides complete protection against infection. However, the corona vaccination reduces the risk of infection by about half, even in people who are neither old nor chronically ill. With flu vaccinations, the protection against infection varies because flu viruses change from year to year.
Is it worth getting vaccinated before the Oktoberfest?
“The protective effect takes about one week and ten days to take effect,” says Christoph Spinner. “That means that a vaccination immediately one day before visiting the Oktoberfest has no effect – but one week before it does.”
However, both vaccinations are only reimbursed by the health insurance company if there are chronic diseases that affect the immune system or for people over 60 years of age. However, many employers offer their employees both vaccinations. If your family doctor does not offer vaccinations, there are also specialist facilities with vaccination consultation hours. It is possible to get both vaccinations at the same time.
After the Oktoberfest is before the Oktoberfest: When is the right time for a vaccination?
Respiratory infections occur much more frequently in the winter months because conditions are better for the pathogens to spread. Anyone who wants to get vaccinated against the flu or Covid-19 outside of Oktoberfest should do so seasonally in the fall: For Covid-19, Christoph Spinner recommends a vaccination in September or October. For flu vaccinations, however, November to early December is a good time because the flu wave usually only occurs in January. The vaccination protection lasts reliably for three to four months.
… and how do I avoid the Oktoberfest flu?
Beyond vaccinations against the real flu or Covid-19, which reduce the risk of infection by half, there is not much that a keen Oktoberfest visitor can do to protect themselves against the Wiesn flu: “There are no magic tricks for the immune system,” says Christoph Spinner. “Randomized studies have never shown that the preventive intake of vitamins or other preparations reduces respiratory infections accordingly.” Of course, there is one last option: not to go to the Oktoberfest at all. That is exactly what is recommended for people who have a respiratory infection: they should stay at home so as not to infect other people at the Oktoberfest and thus contribute to the spread of the “Wiesn flu.”
