VZCZCXRO6545
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDF RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHPB
RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHRL #1267 2820906
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090906Z OCT 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5437
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BERLIN 001267 
 
 
AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 
DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS 
DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC 
SECDEF WASHINGTON DC 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
USMISSION GENEVA 
 
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 GM
SUBJECT: H1N1 Update: 22,110 Cases; Second Death Reported 
 
REF:  Berlin 1236 and previous 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: The number of confirmed H1N1 infections in 
Germany rose by 507 cases to 22,110 on October 8.  RKI has 
announced the death of a 5-year old boy from Munich (Bavaria) 
who had been infected with H1N1.  Germany hopes to start its 
H1N1 vaccination program at the end of October.  END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (U) At its October 8 press briefing, the National Reference 
Center for Influenza at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) 
confirmed a total of 507 new (laboratory and non-laboratory) 
H1N1 cases in Germany since October 7, increasing the total 
number of H1N1 cases to 22,110.  NRW remains the German state 
with the highest number of confirmed virus cases with a total 
of 5,987, followed by Bavaria (3,543) and Baden-Wuerttemberg 
(3,246). 
 
Second German H1N1 Death 
------------------------ 
 
¶3. (U) A 5-year old boy from Munich (Bavaria) is the second 
person infected with H1N1 to die in Germany.  The boy was 
considered to be a "risk patient" and had serious underlying 
health conditions, particularly pneumonia, which led to his 
death on October 5.  According to RKI, H1N1 was found in his 
blood.  No information is currently available as to where the 
boy might have contracted H1N1. 
 
H1N1 Vaccination to Start in Late October 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) At an October 8 briefing hosted by the Federal German 
Ministry of Health, officials stated that the H1N1 vaccination 
plan for Germany is still under discussion.  As previously 
announced, Germany's proposed strategy is to vaccinate three 
groups of people first: health care workers, people with 
underlying health conditions, and pregnant women.  Depending 
on the epidemiological situation, Germany will then evaluate 
if other groups should be vaccinated.  Foreign residents 
living in Germany will receive the vaccination; however, 
foreign tourists in Germany should get vaccinated in their 
home country.  Germany hopes to begin the H1N1 vaccination 
program at the end of October.  Given the reluctance of 
Germans to receive the H1N1 vaccine, RKI does not expect a run 
on the vaccine this fall.  The distribution of the H1N1 
vaccine to the public will differ among the federal states, 
but mainly will occur through the public health service. 
 
¶5. (U) Considering the mild course of the H1N1 virus in 
Germany, RKI expects fewer deaths to occur from H1N1 than from 
seasonal influenza.  As reported in REF, between 8,000 to 
11,000 patients die every year from seasonal influenza in 
Germany. 
 
Pandemic Influenza Working Group 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) A core group of Mission Germany's Pandemic Influenza 
Working Group met on October 7 to review the current H1N1 
situation in Germany.  Mission Germany remains at tripwire 
two, which indicates clusters of infection with only localized 
human-to-human transmission.  All sections continue to 
implement the Department's recommended preparations for a 
potential increase in cases this fall. 
 
MURPHY