The German government announced on Tuesday it would begin checking the vaccination status of passengers on trains, trams and buses in an attempt to stop, say experts, the spread of the current cold and flu season.
The National Centre for Immunisation and Prevention (IZP) found a disappointing 90% of people on the public transport network were not fully vaccinated against the flu.
“There is a risk of a potential retrovirus outbreak on public transport,” the IGP said in a statement. “This is not an emergency … [but] it is one of the reasons why this is a public health priority.”
One of the first measures set in motion by the authorities is to check the immunisation status of passengers on crowded trains. The move will target people of all ages on public transport.
Germany’s federal states and local authorities also plan to introduce personal-flu-tracking systems by this spring, according to news magazine Der Spiegel. The focus of the measures will remain on adolescents, the IGP said.