[Prophylactic influenza vaccination: what is the situation in Germany?]

Vaccination is the most efficacious and cost-effective measure for the prevention of influenza. Although the vaccination rate among the population of Germany has been gradually increasing in the last few years, only 40% of chronically ill persons are vaccinated. As a third of all persons aged over 50 years have a chronic disease, vaccination of those aged 50 years and over, from the those recommended 60 years, should be considered. Such a strategy would be cost-effective both for insurance companies and society as a whole. There are at present no data on ambulatory influenza vaccination rates in children, even though this could reduce the high death rate among this age group and decrease the spread of the disease among the general population. At present all children with an underlying disease and all those in immediate contact with them should be vaccinated. Pregnant women whose expected date of delivery falls within the influenza season should also be vaccinated so that they and their newborn child are protected against influenza.