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HEALTH

Austria ‘on threshold of flu outbreak’

Doctors are warning of the onset of a flu outbreak in Austria - with around 10,000 people reported to be suffering from the virus. There are also concerns that the vaccine may be less effective as the virus has mutated to avoid the immunity provided by the flu jab.

Published: 30 January 2015 09:24 CET

The main circulating flu virus this winter is influenza A type H3N2, which affects the elderly in particular.

The US Centres of Disease Control has warned that half of H3N2 viruses tested there were "drifted strains" which were different to the one protected by the flu jab.

"There has been a significant increase in flu and flu-like infections in Graz and Tyrol", the head of Vienna Medical University’s Virology Department, Franz X. Heinz, told the Austrian Press Agency. He said there had also been an increase of cases in Vienna, affecting the elderly, schoolchildren and teachers especially.

“Our data indicates that we are on the threshold of a flu outbreak,” he said.

Doctors can prescribe anti-viral drugs, which if taken shortly after the onset of symptoms (such as a high fever and body aches) can shorten the duration and severity of the virus. 

 

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HEALTH

What do you do in Austria if your nearest pharmacy is closed?

It's nine pm in Austria, and you're out of painkillers or decongestants. You're desperate for pain relief but your local Apotheke is shut, so what do you do?

Published: 12 December 2023 11:59 CET
What do you do in Austria if your nearest pharmacy is closed?

In Austria Apotheken (pharmacies) are the only places in which you can purchase painkillers and decongestants. Ostensibly in the public interest, but it’s also a lucrative moneymaker for the businesses. This monopoly on the sale of certain pharmaceutical drugs is a subject frequently debated and is of much consternation for overseas arrivals. 

READ MORE: Why are painkillers only sold in pharmacies in Austria?

However, many Apotheken can close as early as six pm, especially if you live outside a major city centre. If you’re suffering from a cold or a nasty headache, it can seem like an eternity until they reopen. 

Fortunately, there is relief. Emergency situations will always arise, and pharmacies often band together to provide service at nights, over weekends and on public holidays.

This is done on a rota basis, so your local Apotheke may not be open, there will be a Apotheken-Notdienst (Emergency-service pharmacy) within a 5 – 10km range. 

Often, Apotheken will have a sign or screen out the front that gives the address and opening times for Apotheken-Notdienst in the area, updated frequently.

A number of websites also exist that can give you the location of operating Apotheken-Notdienst across Austria, such as APO24.at. Entering your PLZ (or postcode) will list the nearest to you. 

However, if they don’t have online access, dialling 1455 while put you in touch with a service who can either direct you to the Apotheken-Notdienst on duty, or help you in getting you further assistance. 

If all else fails, your local hospital should have a Notfall-Praxis – ostensibly an emergency doctor service out of hours. If you’re prepared to wait, you will be able to see a doctor, and they can either dispense medication, or direct you to the hospital pharmacy with a prescription. 

Before you go, it’s worth brushing up on your vocabulary. The Local has developed a list of vocabulary and phrases that you can use to describe your symptoms to pharmacists and doctors, to help them prescribe the best possible medication.

READ MORE: Colds and flu: What to say if you get sick in Austria

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