Berlin urges residents to check vaccination status during first national week

Berlin's vaccination advisory board (Impfbeirat) is calling on residents to check their vaccination status this week and close any gaps in their protection. The appeal is part of the National Vaccination Action Week, which runs from 9 to 15 November. It is taking place across Germany for the first time, according to the dpa news agency, reporting in the Tagesspiegel.

The Berlin Senate Department for Science, Health and Care said that, besides general practitioners, doctors' practices in other specialties and the city's public health offices are taking part. They are offering vaccination advice and checks of vaccination status.

Anyone who wants to find out whether they have all the necessary vaccinations can bring their health insurance card and vaccination record to a doctor's practice, a pharmacy or a health office.

Health Senator Ina Czyborra (SPD) said vaccinations against influenza and other respiratory illnesses are a central building block in protecting health. She added that people at higher risk of severe illness because of an underlying condition in particular should make use of the vaccinations on offer.

Pharmacies also offer flu and Covid-19 vaccinations. On 12 November, a "Long Night of Vaccination" (Lange Nacht des Impfens) will let Berliners get these shots outside normal opening hours.