Overview
- The Robert Koch Institute estimates about 7.2 million people in Germany currently have an acute respiratory illness that includes influenza cases.
- Laboratory data show a marked rise in influenza positivity over the past two weeks, indicating the start of the flu wave.
- Northern states report increasing activity, with Hamburg logging 242 cases since late September, nearly one third hospitalized, and three deaths.
- Bavaria’s health minister Judith Gerlach urges flu shots as STIKO advises people aged 60 and over to get vaccinated, with experts also recommending COVID-19 boosters for high‑risk groups.
- Virologist Ulrike Protzer warns about a genetically distinct H3N2 sublineage, while experts say the seasonal vaccine provides good protection and point to Australia’s record season as a warning.