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4w ago

Flu Vaccination Among Germans 60+ Fell to 40.8% in 2023, Barmer Report Finds

Barmer's chief says the rates are dramatically too low to shield those most at risk.

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In Deutschland lassen sich zu wenige Menschen gegen Grippe impfen, auch in den besonders gefährdeten Gruppen. 2023 waren sechs von zehn Menschen ab 60 Jahren nicht gegen Influenza geimpft, wie aus dem Arzneimittelreport der Barmer hervorgeht.

Overview

  • Coverage has declined from roughly 49% in 2020 toward pre-pandemic levels near 39%, far short of the WHO’s 75% target.
  • Baden-Württemberg recorded the lowest uptake among over‑60s at 29.7%, while Saxony-Anhalt was highest at 55.2%.
  • Vaccination remained weak in vulnerable groups, with 48.9% of residents in institutional care, 45.6% receiving home care, and 43.5% of 70–79 year‑old heart-attack patients vaccinated.
  • Almost all shots were given in medical practices, with pharmacies delivering about 0.5% in 2023 despite being authorized to vaccinate since 2022.
  • Stiko urges annual flu shots for people 60+, the chronically ill, care-home residents, healthcare staff, and pregnant women, and it now also advises those with frequent direct contact with pigs, poultry, wild birds, or seals due to avian flu risks.