The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues. But that shouldn’t obscure other vaccine-preventable diseases. The “Vaccination Plan Austria 2023” of the Ministry of Health has now been published. In particular, there is a warning against flu and less vaccination against measles in children. The latter may turn out to be a risk with some delay.
The flu wave is already in full swing. You can still get vaccinated within 10 to 14 days to be protected. The Austrian vaccination plan: “In the 2022/23 season, the flu epidemic was announced relatively early on November 29, 2022. A double infection or successive infection with the coronavirus cannot be ruled out (severe progression is possible, especially in high-risk groups). It can be assumed that flu increases the risk of a severe form of Covid-19 and vice versa, therefore flu vaccination is particularly recommended for infants, small children, pregnant women, the chronically ill and the elderly over 60 years of age
Vaccination advice against flu for all people
Vaccination is recommended from six months of age and is available in the free childhood vaccination program this flu season (2022/2023). An Austrian-wide low-threshold vaccination program against the flu virus for adults is also on the agenda for the coming year (2023/2024). There is a general vaccination recommendation for all people, “primarily for the over-60s, the chronically ill, groups of people with other risk factors, but also for healthcare workers and elderly care.”
Measles cases fell sharply compared to previous years
The situation regarding measles (MMR vaccination; measles, mumps, rubella) continues to look difficult. “Since the measles outbreak in 2008 with 443 cases, until 2020, Austria has been experiencing outbreaks annually, mainly in the 15 to 40 age group (with a high proportion of health workers), followed by children under five (…) In Austria, only 25 cases of measles were reported in 2020 and two cases in 2021. This means that the numbers have fallen sharply compared to previous years, according to the “Vaccination Plan Austria 2023”.
Vaccination rates against measles are falling
However, this has to be seen in light of the Covid 19 lockdowns. They apparently have limited the spread of all viruses that can be transmitted through human-to-human contact. But it won’t stay that way. According to the updated vaccination plan: “Since the pandemic, there has also been a decline in MMR vaccination rates in Austria, especially in children under one year of age. To close vaccination gaps and prevent new major measles outbreaks, increasing vaccination coverage is urgently needed and has a high priority.
In a “Measles 2021 Brief Report” from the Ministry of Health, experts wrote: “When looking at measles vaccination coverage, a slightly worse picture was observed for 2021 than for the previous year. The number of documented vaccinations has only decreased by almost five percent However, this decrease mainly affects the vaccination coverage of very young children (…) In 2020, more than 95 percent of these children had already had their first vaccination and 88 percent their second vaccination, the vaccination coverage of two-year-olds in 2021 was only 84 percent before the first vaccination and 74 percent for the second vaccination.”
This trend was already visible in 2020, when the then one-year-olds were significantly less vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella than the one-year-olds the year before. In 2021, the vaccine residues created there could no longer be made up. In the age group of two to five years, the target of a vaccination rate of 95 percent was achieved, at least for the first vaccination dose. “In the second vaccination, the vaccination coverage fell slightly from 90 percent to 88 percent. In concrete terms, this means that approximately 25,000 children in this age group only received the first partial vaccination. In the age group of six to nine years, the vaccination coverage for the first dose is also over 95 percent, but just under 90 percent for the second dose. This means that just over 31,000 children in Austria have only received the first partial vaccination and not yet the second one,” according to the “Measles 2021 Summary Report”.
Free HPV vaccine can prevent hundreds of cancer cases
In any case, progress has been made this year in Austria’s vaccination system, which is now coming to an end: with HPV vaccination (human papillomavirus/cervical cancer, etc.). “At the end of 2022, Federal Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens; note) succeeded in extending the HPV vaccination offer in the free vaccination program from February 2023 to the age of 21.” This should help reduce several hundred cases of cancer each year, prevent and meet or implement WHO and EU targets in this area.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
