How flu vaccination works in Russia, Germany, the U.K., and eight other countries

1’Tis the seasonLate October falls within the recommended window for annual flu vaccination. It takes about two weeks for protection to develop after vaccination, which is why vaccination is generally recommended shortly before the flu starts spreading. Protection gradually wears off, so the timing also affects how much immunity remains at the end of the season.That’s why the World Health Organization recommends getting vaccinated in October. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control says it’s best to have immunity to the flu by mid-November.2Who benefits most from vaccination?The benefits vary depending on a person’s health and risk factors. Vaccination reduces the risk of getting sick and, if infection occurs, lowers the likelihood of severe illness or death. People at the greatest risk from the flu benefit most from vaccination. These include:People with chronic conditionsOlder adults (usually those 65 and older)People who are pregnant or gave birth within the past two weeksChildren under 5Minors who regularly take aspirin or similar medicationsPeople with a body mass index of 40 or higherHealthy adults rarely become seriously ill, so the benefit of vaccination for any one healthy adult is small: For every vaccinated person whose illness was prevented by the vaccine, 70 vaccinated people received no benefit. Still, a healthy adult who doesn’t get sick won’t pass the virus on to others, including vulnerable people. That’s why some countries offer free vaccinations to both people in high-risk groups and those who have frequent contact with them.Flu vaccines can also cause side effects. Usually, this means pain at the injection site, but one in 100 people may develop flu-like symptoms. More serious side effects are much rarer.3How does access to vaccination vary by country?Procedures depend on the country. Details are usually available on national or local government websites. The following links cover several countries:Russia (details are available on the websites of regional health ministries and departments, as well as local branches of Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s consumer protection and public health agency)ArmeniaUnited KingdomGermanyGeorgia (for citizens; foreigners pay for vaccination)Spain (rules vary by region — for example, here are links for residents of Madrid, Andalusia, and Navarre)KazakhstanNetherlandsSerbiaTurkeyMontenegroIn some places, vaccination requires a prior doctor’s visit; in others, shots are available at pharmacies or mobile vaccination clinics.Where governments or insurers cover vaccination only for people in high-risk groups, paid vaccination is usually available at private clinics or pharmacies. A doctor may also be able to provide a referral, depending on the eligibility rules.For countries not listed here, information is also available through doctors, local health ministries, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s website. Search engines or chatbots can help locate relevant sources.Identification and a vaccination record, preferably an international one, are useful documents for an appointment. Vaccination records can often be issued on the spot, though arrangements vary by provider.4What options exist for people who aren’t eligible locally?For people unable to access vaccination locally, even for a fee, another option is to travel abroad for vaccination, sometimes called vaccine tourism. This can also mean getting vaccinated during an otherwise planned trip. Vaccination clinics, pharmacies, and other places that offer shots without a doctor’s examination usually have no restrictions based on citizenship or immigration status (that’s the case in Germany and Armenia, for example). Requirements vary by provider.The nonprofit Kollektivny Immunitet maintains a spreadsheet of people’s experiences getting vaccinated in different countries. More detailed accounts and recommendations appear under the hashtag #nv_туризм on its director’s Telegram channel.5Are some vaccines better than others?Some vaccines have been studied more thoroughly. Imported vaccines are currently unavailable in Russia. Of those available, Ultrix Quadri, Flu-M, and Flu-M Tetra contain 15 micrograms of each type of hemagglutinin — exactly as much as their foreign counterparts. Other vaccines (Grippol Plus, Grippol Quadrivalent, and Sovigripp) contain less of the active ingredient. According to studies by their manufacturers, however, additional ingredients make these vaccines sufficiently effective. Whether to trust those findings is open to debate. For its part, the nonprofit Kollektivny Immunitet recommends vaccination with whichever flu vaccine is available.6When is it too late to get vaccinated?It’s hard to say. Government vaccination campaigns can run into the spring. Experts at Germany’s Robert Koch Institute write:If you haven’t been able to get vaccinated during this period [before mid-December], it may still make sense to get vaccinated at the beginning or even at the height of an epidemic. After all, it’s impossible to predict exactly how long it will last. For example, in the 2022-23 season, a second wave of flu caused by a different variant of the virus began in March.“It’s never too late to get vaccinated if the flu is still circulating in the community,” the World Health Organization writes.7What other measures help reduce the risk of infection?Other preventive measures help reduce the risk of flu as well as colds and other respiratory viral infections (for which there are no vaccines). These include:Regular, thorough handwashingAvoiding touching the face with dirty hands (Meduza has published a guide on breaking the habit)Keeping a distance from people who are sick and avoiding crowded places, especially enclosed, poorly ventilated spacesDisinfecting objects frequently touched with dirty hands, such as doorknobs and keyboardsWearing an FFP2 respirator for people at high risk of severe illnessAt Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at [email protected].To read Meduza’s exclusive content in English, please subscribe to our newsletter.