The flu vaccination will get a new impetus from 2023: the federal government, the federal states and social security will launch a vaccination campaign together next year. Vaccination is free for people under 15 and over 60, and for people who are exempt from prescription costs. This was announced by Vorarlberg’s state councilor Martina Rüscher (ÖVP) after the conference of health officials in Mellau in the Bregenzerwald. She spoke of a “first step”, Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) even of a “historic decision”.
Rüscher explains that the vaccination offer will be expanded further in the coming years. The aim of all federal states is to expand the vaccination offer and to make vaccinations as free as possible for citizens. She also advocated expanding the provision of child and adolescent psychiatry – for example in the school sector – and called raising health awareness among the population as an “essential goal”.
Health Minister Rauch admitted there were “starting problems” with the federal government’s new testing strategy, but they will be eliminated. However, he rejected general criticism: “If you want to be tested, you also get tests,” he emphasized. With the current strategy you will get through the coming months, and if the worst comes out, you can expand the test system again. There are test stations in old people’s and nursing homes, “no one has to worry about not being able to get to grandma or grandpa anymore,” explains Rauch.
After the meeting in Mellau – Vorarlberg currently chairs the conference of state governors – Vienna City Councilor for Health Peter Hacker spoke of a “very intensive exchange that we have wanted for a long time”. He spoke about the problem of nursing and care and called for a revised Care and Nursing Act. For this, the course should be set in the ministry. The aim is to make the nursing profession more attractive to young people. An Austrian uniform health training fund should also be established to provide financial support to trainees. Rauch agreed that the law needs to be amended to meet the requirements.
To fund the health system, Hacker said more money is needed and preparations are already underway for negotiations on the next financial equalization — which is currently in place until the end of 2023. “The health sector is going to be one of the toughest chapters,” Hacker said with Concerning the separate financing of the private sector and the hospital sector, he argues that if 60 percent of the money goes to the private sector, then 60 percent of the service should also take place there.
Corona: preparation for autumn
Both Rauch and Hacker confirmed that the war in Ukraine required a national agency to carry out the coordination. Medical first aid or the treatment of critically ill people currently work “more on a voluntary basis,” Hacker says. According to Rauch, the matter has already been voted on between the Federal Chancellery, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Health. When it came to Corona, Rauch stated that they were preparing for fall together so as not to be surprised again. A separate Covid 19 register is being created for the hospitals to get a better data base – for example also in the case of Long Covid.
Source: Krone
I’m an experienced news author and editor based in New York City. I specialize in covering healthcare news stories for Today Times Live, helping to keep readers informed on the latest developments related to the industry. I have a deep understanding of medical topics, including emerging treatments and drugs, the changing laws that regulate healthcare providers, and other matters that affect public health.
