Carinthia Health Officials Urge Swift Vaccination as Respiratory Illnesses Surge
Health officials in Carinthia are advising residents to get vaccinated against Covid-19 adn influenza as cases of respiratory illnesses rise across the region. General practitioner Maria Korak-Leiter of Maria Rain reports a surge in coughing, sniffing, and fever since the end of September. Last week, the health insurance company recorded 13,382 sick days, with 4,257 attributed to flu-like infections. Covid-19 numbers have also been increasing for two weeks.
While the first peak of the Covid-19 wave last year occurred in mid-October, officials are forecasting a peak for this year at the end of October. Wastewater monitoring indicates influenza is currently not widespread in Carinthia, but is present in Vienna, according to health officer beate Prettner. A peak in “real flu” is anticipated in December. Prettner emphasized the combined threat of influenza, RSV, and Covid-19, stating, “Together with the RSV virus, influenza and Covid form a triad that is feared by doctors, which not only affects patients but also staff again and again and causes bottlenecks in the healthcare system.”
Korak-Leiter strongly recommends immediate covid-19 vaccination due to the steady increase in cases and suggests getting the influenza vaccine concurrently. She advises getting the influenza shot in early November to ensure protection throughout the winter. “You shouldn’t underestimate the real flu; in Austria there are 2,000 to 4,000 deaths every year,” Korak-Leiter said. Last season, 49,009 influenza vaccinations were recorded in carinthias e-vaccination certificate, a nearly ten percent increase from the previous season.
Vaccinations are available through private practices – a list of Covid-19 vaccinators is available on the Medical Association’s homepage – and also at health authorities, magistrates, district authorities, companies, and nursing homes.
The public vaccination program will expand in November 2025 to include free vaccinations against pneumococci and shingles for individuals aged 60 and over, and also younger at-risk groups. Karin Schorna-Drescher of the State Medical Directorate also highlighted the importance of checking vaccination status for diseases like polio, diphtheria, measles, and whooping cough, noting over 15,000 cases of whooping cough were reported in Austria last year.
