Flu wave rolls on: The season is so dangerous for Austria!

The current flu wave in Austria beats alarming waves. In the past week, impressive 42,796 insured persons from the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) were on sick leave alone in Lower Austria. Particularly worrying: 10,458 cases of flu infections and 423 from the real flu have been registered. This number has almost doubled in less than two weeks, as the ÖGK announced. Virologist Monika Redlberger-Fritz from the Medical University of Vienna predicts that the highlight of this flu wave has not yet been reached and that it could still last up to ten weeks, which underlines the urgency of protective measures. It emphasizes that the currently circulating virus tribes are contained in the flu vaccine, which increases the effectiveness of vaccination, as reported.

The health authorities therefore advisable to vaccinate now as long as you have no symptoms of a fresh infection or fever over 38.5 degrees Celsius. Free flu vaccinations are available across Austria and are offered primarily in urban vaccination centers and in the ÖGK facilities. The vaccinations in Vienna will be available from November 2. The possibility of simultaneous vaccination against influenza and covid-19 is also given, which confirms orf . Minister of Health Johannes Rauch encourages a rapid vaccination, since the risk of strong influenza wave is particularly high due to the low immunity of the population, which results from the past two years without a flu wave.

flu cases registered early

The first flu cases were registered in Austria in early October this season, which is one month earlier than usual. Every year between 1,000 and 1,500 people die from real flu. The combination of early flu wave and existing COVID-19 risk makes the current situation particularly worrying. The head of the ÖGK, Andreas Krauter, asks to use the vaccination to protect yourself and others. The willingness of the population's willingness to vaccinate is now crucial to prevent serious illnesses. In view of these circumstances, it is of the utmost importance to take the claims of the virologer seriously and to act as quickly as possible to counteract the impending health crisis.