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

Late 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.

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:

Healthy 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.

Procedures depend on the country. Details are usually available on national or local government websites. The following links cover several countries:

In 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.

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.

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.

It’s hard to say. Government vaccination campaigns can run into the spring. Experts at Germany’s Robert Koch Institute write:

“It’s never too late to get vaccinated if the flu is still circulating in the community,” the World Health Organization writes.

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: