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How high is the demand for corona vaccinations? (Symbolic image) © dpa Guido Kirchner
It has been four years since the coronavirus pandemic took hold of the world. Since then, the virus has mutated several times. That is why there have been several new vaccines. Now a new vaccine is being offered again. That is how great the demand is.
by Cordula Wildauer/Patricia Huber/Christa Latta/Nicholas Bettinger/Michael Bartel/Heike Duczek/Manuel Hinmüller
Rosenheim/Bad Aibling/Mühldorf/Wasserburg/Chiemgau – You had to be “vaccinated or recovered” if you wanted to meet other people during the corona pandemic. Today, all vaccination centers are closed and the mask requirement has been lifted. Nevertheless, the virus continues to develop. Now there is a new vaccine. This has been available to order since August 6. This is how patients, doctors and pharmacists in the region are reacting.
“We don’t know whether the corona virus will become dangerous again”
“We have had no demand for vaccinations since May,” says doctor Petra Jas, who has her practice in Rosenheim. For her, the reason for this is the summer holidays. “For many people, Corona seems far away,” she says. But Jas is critical of this. “We don’t know whether the corona virus will become dangerous again,” she says. However, some patients have already asked about the new vaccine, which is due to be delivered in August. Chronically ill people and people over 60 are particularly dependent on the vaccine.
Rosenheim pharmacist Dominik Simon of the Heilig-Geist Apotheke is also not worried about the corona vaccination. “The issue of drug supply is more important,” he says. He hopes that politicians will take this issue seriously.
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“Demand for the new vaccine from customers and also from doctors’ offices is negligible,” says Ulrike Bayer, owner of the Frühlings-Apotheke Bad Aibling. She does not expect this to change from Monday, August 12th. From that day, the first deliveries of the new vaccine are expected to arrive in pharmacies and offices.
Michael Iberer, first chairman of the Rosenheim District Medical Association, has also already ordered and expects delivery soon. “The vaccination, which will be available in the next two to three weeks, should have been administered by winter,” says Iberer. Following the STIKO recommendation, he advises all patients over 60, pregnant women and those who are not fully vaccinated to get vaccinated. In addition, residents of care facilities, health care workers and people with pre-existing conditions who are at risk of developing a severe course of Covid should come for a booster if the last vaccination or illness was more than twelve months ago. However, demand for Covid vaccinations is currently still manageable.
“The issue of drug supply is more important”
Ulrike Bayer has also heard of the recent increase in infections with the corona virus, whether from customers with symptoms or from patients who had already been diagnosed positive. “Many have also been exemplary in wearing a mask in the pharmacy. But there are also those who tell us that they are infected and do not take any protective measures before entering,” says the pharmacist.
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“We have not yet ordered a new corona vaccine, and there are currently no inquiries from patients,” says the Mühldorf MVZ Isental in Schwindegg. At Christina Beckel’s Neumarkt-Sankt Veit city pharmacy, it was also still quiet on Monday afternoon, August 5: “So far, the practices have not ordered anything from us either,” she says.
Exactly one order was received at the Marien Pharmacy in Prien, as an employee reported upon request.
At the Katharinen Pharmacy in Prien, ordering behavior is also “moderate,” as owner Angelika Mautes explained. “We have a few orders, but of course that can’t be compared with the numbers during the pandemic.” But Mautes adds: “It’s holiday time now and if you compare the current Corona numbers, it could well be that there will be a bit more.” It is therefore difficult to say whether orders could increase in the near future.
“Citizens are not very worried”
Melanie Kretschmar, chairwoman of the Traunstein District Medical Association, also has not seen much demand for new vaccines in her own GP practice. “People are not very worried about possible infections at the moment,” says the doctor. However, it is clear that testing is increasing again. “But patients are not asking more about vaccinations because of this.” She has not received any feedback from her colleagues on this either. “We do have a GP group and discuss the technical issues there,” but there has not been any demand for new vaccinations so far, explains the GP.
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