Oktoberfest vaccination service draws 937 people in its first year

For the first time, the city of Munich offered a vaccination service at the Oktoberfest this year, and 937 people took up the offer. They were vaccinated against flu, Covid or both.

Beatrix Zurek, head of the city's health department, said: "We are very pleased that people responded so positively to our vaccination service at the Oktoberfest, and we thank Dr Kampmann and his team at Aicher Ambulanz Union for their work. Our easy-access service was consistently seen as a sensible addition to what is already available in doctors' surgeries and pharmacies. This brings us a step closer to our goal of raising vaccination rates here."

She said Germany lags well behind other European countries on vaccination rates, including among vulnerable groups. In the Scandinavian countries more than two thirds of the people covered by the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) are vaccinated. In Germany the figure is around a third for flu and less than a fifth for Covid. "We want to change that," she said.

The Oktoberfest service is part of the citywide initiative "Munich Vaccinates" (www.muenchen-impft.de). The campaign aims to prevent serious illness and complications linked to acute respiratory infections, such as heart attacks and strokes, and to raise vaccination rates in line with STIKO recommendations. It is run under Ms Zurek's patronage by the city together with Munich's two university hospitals, LMU Klinikum (Professor Dr Christian Schulz) and TUM Klinikum (Professor Dr Christoph D. Spinner).

"The Oktoberfest may be over, but our 'Munich Vaccinates' initiative is not," Ms Zurek said. "We still have a long way to go, because respiratory illnesses pose a serious risk of severe illness and lasting damage for vulnerable groups. By getting vaccinated, you protect yourself and others."

Vaccinations are available at GP and paediatric practices, at pharmacies and at the health department's vaccination centre. Appointments can be booked on weekdays between 11am and 12 noon on 233-66912. More information is available at www.muenchen.de/impfen.