Autumn vaccinations for older adults: Influenza, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Today, the Federal Commission on Vaccination (EKIF) recommends two vaccinations for people aged 65 and over in the autumn: one against flu and one against Covid-19. The new RSV vaccines are recommended for people aged 75 and over and for people aged 60-74 with relevant underlying conditions, but basic health insurance does not yet cover the costs. These vaccines each reduce the risk of illness and hospitalisation to varying degrees, and the risk of serious side effects is very low. The flu vaccine reduces the risk of heart attack, at least in terms of secondary prevention. However, the high Number Needed to Vaccinate (NNV) to prevent respiratory infection- or pneumonia-related hospitalisation (over 1000 for covid vaccines and well over 3000 for flu vaccines) may lead doctors to question the effectiveness of vaccination. For the new RSV vaccines, the NNV is lower at approximately 250 for individuals aged over 75. Additionally, the protective effect lasts for at least two seasons. Although the EKIF strongly recommends the high-dose flu vaccine, it is 50 % more expensive and, in a randomised head-to-head comparison involving 466 000 participants, only slightly more effective than standard-dose vaccines (NNV = approx. 1832).