Berlin. Autumn is here, and with it the annual season Recommendation of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko)to get vaccinated against the influenza virus, i.e. against the flu. It applies to people aged 60 and over, pregnant women, those with previous illnesses, residents of old people’s homes and nursing homes, as well as people who could endanger people at risk in their environment or who have a higher risk of infection due to their job.
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The Stiko also recommends that the Covid-19 vaccination be given to the group of people listed above to the heart, with the exception of pregnant women without underlying diseases for whom basic immunity is assessed as sufficient. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), basic immunity is achieved when the immune system has had three contacts with components of the pathogen (vaccination) or the pathogen itself (infection). At least one of the three contacts should be a vaccination.
8.2 million doses of Comirnaty will be delivered to the federal government “in a timely manner”.
Germany has around 22 million doses of the flu and corona vaccines in stock so far, and millions more doses will be added in the coming weeks. Fall under this according to information from the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) so far almost 19 million doses for flu vaccinations. A vaccine is currently available for Corona from the federal government’s central procurement, namely the Comirnaty vaccine from the German manufacturer Biontech, which is adapted to the JN.1 variant.
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According to PEI President Stefan Vieths, around three million cans are currently in stock. “In addition, there are around 8.2 million doses of the Comirnaty vaccine adapted to the KP.2 variant, which, following approval by the EU Commission, can now be delivered promptly by the company to the federal central warehouse and from there to wholesalers .”
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Nuvaxovid is currently not available
The protein-based vaccine Nuvaxovid from Novavax has no longer been available since the end of August because the previously unupdated variant had reached its expiry date. According to Vieths, the vaccine adapted to JN.1 has not yet received approval from the EU, but: “If this is granted, Nuvaxovid can also be procured centrally and used in Germany.” When that will happen and how many doses the federal government will receive , is still open. “Negotiations are currently still taking place with the manufacturer regarding details of the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines adapted to variants for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 vaccination seasons,” Vieths told the RND.
According to Vieths, another vaccine that is available in Germany but is not purchased centrally by the federal government is the mRNA vaccine Spikevax from Moderna. This is also adapted to the JN.1 variant and can be ordered and dispensed by pharmacies. All approved corona vaccines are paid for by health insurance companies.
Demand cannot yet be assessed
The vaccination season has just begun, so it is too early to draw an initial conclusion about how high the demand for a flu or corona vaccination is among the population, said Nicola Buhlinger-Göpfarth, federal chairwoman of the General Practitioners Association , the RND. However, it is clear that the vaccination rates in this country have been too low for a long time and that the EU’s targets of a flu vaccination rate of 75 percent for older people have not been anywhere near achieved.
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“We can only repeatedly appeal to our patients to take these diseases seriously and to go to their family doctor’s office with their vaccination certificate,” warns Buhlinger-Göpfarth. Anyone who has had a moderate or severe case of the flu knows that this illness has nothing in common with a typical cold and can put extreme strain on the entire body. The same applies to a corona infection.
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“The vaccination not only protects the individual, but also our healthcare system as a whole,” said Buhlinger-Göpfarth. “The more people who belong to the risk groups get vaccinated, the lower the burden on practices and hospitals will be this winter.”
General practitioner association: More relief through double vaccine
The risk groups for whom a corona vaccination and those for whom a flu vaccination is recommended are very similar. Among other things, everyone over 60 years of age should take advantage of the vaccination offer. When it comes to the corona vaccination, it must also be taken into account whether a corona infection was detected during the year or not. Patients should contact their family doctor early on to discuss what the best course of action would be in their specific case.
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What practices in Germany urgently need is the double vaccine against flu and corona that has been required for years. “That would relieve our practices, but above all our patients, enormously,” says Buhlinger-Göpfarth. The practices usually tried to carry out both vaccinations in one appointment. From a medical point of view there is nothing at all against it. “But if that is not possible or is not desired by the patients, then they have to come to the practice twice. This increases the effort, but also the probability that the second vaccination will no longer be taken.
Unfortunately, says Buhlinger-Göpfarth, the organizational effort surrounding corona vaccinations for the practices is still very high. The reason: The vaccine is still only available in vials with six doses each. “For practices, this once again means considerable additional organizational effort, because as soon as a bottle has been opened, it has to be used up promptly.”
This means that doctors have to try to find as many as six people who want to be vaccinated at one appointment. Otherwise, the vaccine would have to be thrown away. Spontaneous vaccinations – an important component in achieving the highest possible vaccination rate – are only possible to a limited extent.
