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How can I get a Covid or flu vaccine in Austria this autumn?

The Austrian Association of Doctors (ÖÄK) says it’s prepared for this year’s vaccination season. So who can get what vaccine and where?

Published: 3 October 2023 11:32 CEST
Updated: 16 October 2023 14:03 CEST

How can I get a Covid or flu vaccine in Austria this autumn?

Austrian physicians say they're ready for the Covid-19, RSV and flu vaccine season. (Photo by ALEX HALADA / AFP)

Despite some complaints of a shortage of October appointments, particularly in Vienna, the association is encouraging at risk people to book in their appointments to get vaccinated for Covid-19, RSV, the flu, and pneumonia.

“We’re ready and there’s no gap in what we can offer,” says ÖÄK President Edgar Wutscher, although he did note that fewer people in Austria are prepared and willing to get vaccinated than they typically might like to see.

Wutscher encourages anyone who is at-risk, or who simply might like to get a vaccine as a precaution, to call their general practitioner as soon as possible to book an appointment. Wutscher notes that many practices are ordering vaccines in smaller quantities on a rolling basis, according to the number of appointments they have, to prevent waste. Because it might take a few days for an order to be shipped out, he recommends calling your doctor as soon as possible to get a timely vaccine.

Can I get vaccinated at a pharmacy?

Despite some previous suggestions from the Health Minister, vaccination is not currently available in pharmacies or in the large vaccination centres Austria saw during the pandemic. As such, the main place in Austria to get your vaccines remains your doctor’s office.

What can I get?

Austria recently updated its vaccination guidelines to recommend only one jab for Covid-19, as well as booster jabs, rather than the three that had been required for full immunisation recently. Recently delivered vaccines are also up to date to cover new Covid variants.

RSV vaccines are also available in Austria for the first time this season, in addition to pneumonia, flu, and meningitis vaccines.

People over the age of 60 and people at higher risk, including pregnant women, are particularly recommended to get doses.

READ ALSO: What are Austria’s new Covid-19 and RSV vaccine recommendations?

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How much can you expect to pay for private healthcare in Vienna?

In Austria, private healthcare works alongside the public healthcare system. If you want private care, you typically need to sign up for private healthcare insurance or pay out of pocket initially and later seek reimbursement.

The cost of private healthcare in Vienna can vary depending on factors such as the type of treatment, the provider, and insurance coverage. In general, private healthcare services tend to be significantly more expensive than the services provided by the public system.

Private healthcare insurance

The monthly cost for private healthcare insurance in Vienna averages around €30 for children and between €45 and €100 for adults.

The cost is determined by your age, health status, and anticipated healthcare needs. When you apply for private insurance, your health and medical history are usually examined.

Signing up for private healthcare insurance at an early age often means lower costs. Existing health insurance contracts are adjusted annually for inflation only, without further adjustments.

UNIQA, Wiener Städtische, Generali Health Insurance, Mercury, Allianz Health Insurance, and the Danube are among the largest and best-known providers of private healthcare insurance in Vienna.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What is a Wahlartzt in Austria?

How does it work?

Every policy is different, but most private insurance work with the public companies, especially since most workers in Austria are insured with one of the public companies via their work or employment – with the majority of them insured by ÖGK.

When you go to an elective doctor in Austria, you will pay out of pocket for your appointment. Later, you’ll need to ask for reimbursement from your compulsory public insurance company. Once you receive confirmation of the reimbursement, you’ll send all documents (including doctor fees and the public reimbursement) to your private insurance, which will pay the difference between what you paid at the doctor and what you got back from your public insurance.

This is typically done online and could even be partially automated, with doctors sending their fees and payment notes directly to public insurance.

Pay out-of-pocket

If you do not want to sign up for private healthcare insurance, you can stay with your public one, pay out of pocket if you need private services, and later receive a partial reimbursement.

In general, a visit to a private practitioner costs between €80 and €120, and a visit to a specialist (orthopaedist, dermatologist, cardiologist) between €150 and €200 in the Austrian capital.

The amount of money you can get back if you go to a private doctor varies depending on several factors, including your health insurance company and the specific services provided by the doctor.

For example, with the most common public insurance, Österreichische Gesundheitskasse, ÖGK, around 80 percent of the amount that ÖGK would have spent if the doctor was linked to the public system is reimbursed. It is important to note that this does not correspond to 80 percent of your medical bill but to 80 percent of what ÖGK would have paid for your treatment at a public doctor, which is significantly lower than the amount listed on your bill.

Fewer public doctors in Vienna

In Vienna, there has recently been a decrease in the number of public doctors and an increase in the number of private ones.

Experts believe the reasons are stressful working conditions and limited numbers of contracts for doctors with public healthcare insurance. Public doctors are said not to take enough time for each patient, as the number of patients determines the profit.

Over the past six years, the increase in private doctors has been particularly notable for doctors specialising in dermatology (rising from 58 percent to 71 percent) and urology (increasing from 55 percent to 62 percent).

READ NEXT: Healthcare in Austria: Why are there fewer ‘public’ doctors?

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