Your nose is running, your throat is hurting: cold season has begun. There are hardly any infections with influenza in Lower Saxony.
Nevertheless, precautionary measures make sense, recommends the state of Lower Saxony.
Lower Saxony minister promotes vaccinations
Health Minister Andreas Philippi is calling on people in Lower Saxony to prepare themselves for the cold season. Preventive measures such as vaccinations are important to protect yourself and others, said the SPD politician. Philippi was vaccinated against influenza in the ministry itself by the President of the State Health Office, Fabian Feil. He then vaccinated Feil in return. Both have doctorates in medicine.
Philippi mentioned, among other things, regular hand washing with soap, thorough dental care, avoiding alcohol and nicotine, a healthy diet and avoiding stress as tips for avoiding infections. “Unfortunately, the issue of hygiene is often underestimated,” said Philippi. “In general, inflammation ensures that the body is in a permanent defense mode.”
Lower Saxony Minister: Wearing a mask is an effective remedy
The minister appealed that anyone who has become infected should please stay at home, recover and avoid crowds. Wearing a mask is more than just a relic from the Corona era and continues to be an effective way to protect yourself and others from infections. However, the most effective measure for prevention is vaccination. It is therefore best for older people and risk groups to be vaccinated against both influenza and Covid-19.
“The vaccines are here,” said Thorsten Schmidt from the Lower Saxony Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KVN). There are no indications of bottlenecks. According to the KVN, there were around 1.2 million vaccinations against influenza and around 600,000 vaccinations against Covid-19 in the last cold season.
An overview of the current disease situation in Lower Saxony:
- Flu: According to the state health department, the number of influenza infections in the country has so far been very low. The situation hardly differs from that of previous years, said President Feil. According to the information, around 30 cases were reported in September, compared to less than half in the same period last year. The last time there was a big increase was at the beginning of 2024, when the number of reported cases jumped to more than 2,000. “The influenza wave usually starts around the turn of the year,” said Feil. In 2022, there was already a sharp increase in the number of cases in November – but this was probably due to catch-up effects from the corona pandemic. Last year there was a significantly weaker wave around the turn of the year. “But to what extent we have returned to this rhythm or to what extent we will face another early and strong wave cannot be predicted,” said Feil.
- Crown: When it comes to the coronavirus, it is currently unclear to the state health department how it will fit into the mix of known colds – “i.e. whether and when we can expect a wave here,” said Feil. Infections have been observed in Lower Saxony since June, although they are at a low level. “The seven-day incidence is currently 6.6,” said Feil. The corona vaccination is currently recommended for everyone aged 60 and over as well as for immunocompromised people of all ages. The Ministry of Health said that people in need of care and people with certain underlying illnesses should also get vaccinated because they have a higher risk of developing serious illnesses. Medical and nursing staff should be vaccinated to minimize their work-related risk and reduce transmission to those around them.
- RS-Virus: Respiratory diseases caused by the RS virus (RSV) are particularly dangerous for babies under one year of age. The good news from the state health department: “According to our surveillance tools, RSV currently plays almost no role in the infection process.” A case was last reported in mid-September. What is new is that, as of this year, a one-time vaccination against RS viruses has been recommended for men and women aged 75 and over and for people with underlying illnesses aged 60 and over. Newborns and infants are recommended to receive a one-time screening test with an antibody before or during their first RSV season.
- Pneumococcus: Vaccination against pneumococcus is also recommended for infants from the age of two months and for everyone over 60 years old, as well as people with certain underlying diseases. Pneumococci can cause various diseases, such as sinusitis, middle ear infection or meningitis, but also sepsis or bacterial pneumonia.
- West Nile fever: Just over a month ago, an infection with the West Nile virus was detected in a person for the first time in Lower Saxony. The infection was discovered by chance while checking a blood donation. It usually has no symptoms in humans, but sometimes flu-like symptoms occur. Rarely, the virus can also lead to skin inflammation or even brain inflammation and, in very rare cases, death. It is transmitted by local mosquitoes. The state health department in Lower Saxony has not yet registered another case of West Nile virus in humans. (dpa)
