VZCZCXRO8128
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDF RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHPB
RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHRL #0858 1961541
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151541Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4618
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0027
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0378
RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 8103
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC 0142
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0796
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1509

UNCLAS BERLIN 000858 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/CE PETER SCHROEDER 
STATE FOR OES/IHB 
STATE FOR AID/GH/HIDN 
USDA PASS TO APHIS 
HHS PASS TO CDC 
HHS FOR OGHA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU ECON PREL SOCI CASC EAGR MX GM
SUBJECT: GERMANY H1N1 FLU UPDATE: 834 CONFIRMED CASES 
 
REF:  A) Berlin 852, B) Berlin 844 and previous. 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The number of H1N1 infections in Germany 
rose by 71 cases to a total of 834 on July 15.  Nine federal 
states reported new cases.  The majority of new infections 
occurred abroad, mainly during travel to Spain.  The Federal 
German States have ordered 50 million doses of seasonal 
influenza vaccine as a precautionary measure in advance of the 
fall and winter flu season.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The National Reference Center for Influenza at the 
Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced in its press 
briefing July 15 a total of 71 new laboratory-confirmed cases 
of H1N1.  This increases the total number of virus cases in 
Germany to 834.   New cases were distributed among nine federal 
states: Lower-Saxony (22), North Rhine-Westphalia (16), Baden- 
Wuerttemberg (12), Schleswig-Holstein (7), Berlin (4), 
Brandenburg (3), Saarland (4), Saxony-Anhalt (2), and Hamburg 
(1).  RKI reports that 57 of the 71 newly confirmed virus 
cases occurred abroad, mainly from travel to Spain/Mallorca. 
The majority of all cases display mild symptoms. 
 
 
¶3. (SBU)  North Rhine-Westphalia remains the state with 
the highest number of virus cases among all German states with 
a total of 334, followed by Baden-Wuerttemberg (114) and 
Bavaria (93 cases).  About half (419) of all confirmed 
infections in Germany have resulted from domestic 
transmission. 
 
 
50 million doses of seasonal influenza vaccine ordered 
-------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU)  The health ministers of Germany's federal states 
agreed on July 14 to order 50 million doses of seasonal 
influenza vaccine to prepare for the fall flu season when a 
corresponding increase in H1N1 cases is expected.  Health 
experts are particularly concerned that H1N1 will mix with 
seasonal influenza and mutate in unpredictable ways.  There is 
also concern that the H1N1 virus could mutate later in the 
year and become more virulent and less susceptible to any new 
vaccine.  Media reports indicate that the 50 million doses are 
able to immunize 25 million people against seasonal influenza, 
which will enable Germany to provide protection for 30 percent 
of its population.  The health ministers will decide next week 
about possible organization of mass vaccinations in Germany. 
 
POLLARD