(pm/ea) – Against the background of the upcoming cold season, the Office for Health and Hazard Control of the Main-Kinzig district recommends a vaccination against the corona virus for risk groups, as well as a vaccination against flu in order to avoid serious illnesses.
A vaccination against both corona and the flu is usually possible at the same time at your family doctor. From October, the Main-Kinzig district will also be offering a special service at the Hanau health center, Salzstrasse 11, and at the Main-Kinzig Forum in Gelnhausen. Citizens from the Main-Kinzig district can get vaccinated against corona there.
The district’s offer is particularly aimed at people who have difficulty accessing vaccinations at their GP’s office. This is intended to close any vaccination gaps that arise. Appointments can be booked online on the Main-Kinzig district’s website (direct link: Vaccinations without an appointment are not possible. The adapted vaccine from BioNTech is used. In principle, you should first ask your GP’s office whether they can offer corona vaccinations.
With the vaccination consultation hours, the Office for Health and Hazard Control would like to create an additional, complementary service to that provided by general practitioners and specialists. If possible, you should bring your vaccination record with you for the vaccination.
The Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) recommends a Covid-19 vaccination for certain groups of people. An annual booster vaccination is recommended for people with an increased risk of a serious course of the disease. These are people aged 60 and over, people aged six months and over with relevant underlying diseases, residents of care facilities and people with an increased risk of a serious course of the disease in integration facilities. The STIKO also recommends this for staff in medical facilities and care facilities with direct contact with patients or residents.
On the other hand, people between the ages of 18 and 59 without underlying diseases are recommended to achieve basic immunity against Covid-19, consisting of at least two vaccinations and one further antigen contact, i.e. a vaccination or infection. Family members and close contacts of people in whom a corona vaccination is unlikely to produce a protective immune response are also encouraged to get vaccinated.
Furthermore, the STIKO recommends that people aged 18 and over continue to build up basic immunity if this is not already present. This means three antigen contacts, either through vaccinations or in connection with a previous infection.
Vaccination is preferably carried out in the autumn so that vulnerable people are best protected even if the number of infections may increase in the autumn and winter.
The Office for Health and Hazard Control also generally recommends a vaccination against the flu, also known as influenza. Vaccination is an essential component in protecting yourself and others from serious illnesses and in containing the spread of the disease. In Hesse, the recommendation for the flu vaccination applies to all citizens from the age of six months. Anyone who would like to be vaccinated can do so at their family doctor’s office.
The flu is a serious viral infection that should not be confused with a cold or flu-like infection. The flu can also cause severe illness in previously healthy people of all ages. Those affected can develop severe symptoms such as high fever, dry cough, and sore throat, headache, and muscle pain. Complications associated with a flu infection such as pneumonia, middle ear infections in children, and in rare cases inflammation of the brain or heart muscle are also possible. Influenza viruses are mainly transmitted through droplets, for example when sneezing, coughing, and talking. This means that all people who have a lot of contact with other people are at risk of infection. For example, when shopping, at work, and on public transport.
The flu vaccination should be given every year, preferably in October or November. Inactivated high-dose vaccines are recommended for people over 60. The costs are covered by the health insurance company. After the vaccination, it takes about ten to 14 days for the body to build up sufficient protection against infection. It is therefore best to get vaccinated before the flu season begins.
Further information on the individual diseases can be found at www.infektionsschutz.de, www.rki.de and on the “Dein Pflaster” campaign page at www.mkk.de. The Office for Health and Hazard Control can be contacted by phone at 06051 8511500. You can contact them by email at [email protected].
