Flu (Influenza) Vaccination

From now on, all our locations have the flu vaccine available for you. To protect you from illness and prevent a severe flu outbreak, you can now be vaccinated at your avi practice.

The Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) recommends vaccination against influenza for all persons aged 60 and above. There are further groups of persons who may require vaccination; these can be found here.

The flu vaccination must be repeated every year with the current, updated vaccine, as influenza viruses can change very rapidly. The best time for this is in October/November, as it takes approximately 14 days to build up vaccination protection.

Vaccination is particularly recommended for the following groups:

• Persons over 60 years of age

• People with underlying conditions

• Pregnant women from the second trimester onwards

• Medical and nursing staff

• Residents of care homes and nursing facilities

The flu vaccine is an inactivated vaccine. The vaccination is administered into the deltoid muscle of the upper arm. Occasionally, the stimulation of the body’s own immune defences may lead to redness or swelling at the injection site after the vaccination, which can also be painful. General symptoms such as fever, chills or sweating, fatigue, and headache or muscle pain may also occur during the first few days after vaccination. Such vaccination reactions generally subside after a few days.

To check whether you have vaccination protection, simply book an appointment for a vaccination status review at one of our avi practices and discuss this with our medical team. They will advise you in detail on whether you are already protected or whether you should receive a vaccination. The doctors will also check whether there are any further vaccinations that would be beneficial for you and, where appropriate, will administer these directly.

From person to person Influenza is highly contagious. When infected individuals sneeze, cough, or speak, tiny virus-containing droplets from the nasal and throat secretions are released into the air and can be inhaled by other people nearby. Viruses are also transmitted via the hands when these have come into contact with virus-containing secretions. If the mouth, nose, or eyes are subsequently touched, the influenza viruses can enter the body through the mucous membranes.

Via contaminated objects The pathogens can also adhere to door handles, handrails, banisters, and similar objects, and be passed on from there via the hands.

Approximately one third of all cases typically begin with a sudden onset of illness, fever, sore throat, and dry cough, accompanied by muscle, limb, back, or headache. Particularly in older people, the symptoms are often less pronounced and resemble those of a common cold more closely. In an uncomplicated course, the symptoms subside after 5 to 7 days. However, the cough can persist considerably longer. The severity of the illness can vary. An influenza infection can present with mild or even no symptoms at all. However, influenza can also lead to severe illness, which in the worst case may be fatal. The most feared complications are pneumonia. In children, middle ear infections can also develop. In rare cases, inflammation of the brain or heart muscle may occur.

After infection, the first symptoms appear relatively quickly — within 1 to 2 days. Those infected can already be contagious on the day before symptoms begin and remain so for approximately 1 week after the first signs of illness appear. Children or people with a weakened immune system may shed the pathogens for longer.