In the flu season 2017/2018, 25,100 people died in Germany alone. Of the nine million people who fell ill, 60,000 came to hospitals, some of them with intensive care. The influenza wave of that winter had devastating effects because the few changes in the genetic material of these viruses were so dangerous and virtually invisible to the human immune system. The viruses were able to multiply unhindered and cause damage. Vaccination considerably reduces the infection rate, even though the vaccination has only provided 60% protection so far. In addition, vaccination is dependent on a group of persons. Straight older humans starting from 60 years, persons with pre-existing conditions and personnel in the hospital as well as in the care should be inoculated. However, Germany is considered a vaccination-poor country, because the vaccination rate is still far too low. The World Health Organization (WHO) decides in February of each year which pathogens should be included in the new flu vaccine for the next season. As a rule, three to four strains of the pathogen are necessary to provide good protection, because the immune system of the vaccinated person must first build up reliable protection. The RKI monitors the entire process, using physician consultations and throat swabs from the previous season as the basis for the new vaccine. According to the study, samples from throat swabs taken in doctors‘ practices contain influenza viruses in about 70 percent of all cases, so that one cannot speak of harmless cold viruses. The RKI is also responsible for decoding the genetic material of the pathogens. Hundreds of millions of vaccine doses must then be ready after about five months of research work, in which five pharmaceutical companies are involved. The WHO provides the source material for the new pathogen strains, because 360,000 chicken eggs are then inoculated with the material in Germany; the corresponding virus strain then multiplies in it over three days under strict quality control. The hen’s egg production is reliable, fast and available in large quantities. In addition, the entire production including the reagents used is biological. The Paul Ehrlich Institute was able to release 21.2 million vaccine doses in the 2019/20 flu season. Since 2018, the quadruple variant has been paid for by the statutory health insurance companies after it became clear that quadruple vaccines are the safer alternative. However, scientists are working on more innovative vaccine doses that provide even better protection. A universal vaccine against all virus strains with improvements and larger vaccination intervals is the goal of the intensive research work.
