The number of people infected with COVID has been declining recently, but Health Minister Vlastimil Válek (TOP 09) warned on Tuesday that this is probably a transitional period. According to him, a wave of COVID and influenza is rushing into the Czech Republic, so he appealed to the public to vaccinate against both diseases.
“The wave of COVID and flu is coming here. It depends on the weather, but the number of people testing positive will increase, so the situation worsens. The months of November, December, and January will be critical. Now is the optimal time to get vaccinated,” Válek urged.
Some time ago, the Ministry of Health launched a campaign to promote vaccination against COVID called “Let’s vaccinate for a life without fear.” For Monday, there were 1,804 newly infected with COVID, about six hundred fewer than on the same day a week ago.
In the context of the expected worsening of the epidemic situation, Válek declared that thanks to the vaccines, even with the increase in the number of infected people, he does not plan to submit a proposal to the government to introduce a pandemic emergency or to introduce any restrictive measures. However, he advised people to protect themselves and maintain hygiene voluntarily.
The minister’s vaccination remarks were supplemented by Roman Chlíbek, an epidemiologist and the head of the Czech Vaccinological Society, who added to the minister’s vaccination remarks.
“Now we have a temporary improvement in the epidemic situation, and no one can say whether it will not increase again. Covid and flu vaccination go hand in hand, and we can expect to hear recommendations for some re-vaccination in the coming years,” Chlíbek said.
People who go for another dose of COVID vaccination might suddenly get the flu vaccine, which has long been underestimated in the Czech Republic, with long-term vaccination coverage hovering around eight percent. “It’s possible to do it all at once, COVID in one arm, flu in the other,” Chlíbek said.