Vaccination weekend in Saxony-Anhalt: Only four pharmacies are taking part!

Vaccination weekend in Saxony-Anhalt: Only four pharmacies are taking part!

Today, October 8, 2025, many pharmacies in Germany are starting the vaccination season, and not just for flu, but also for COVID-19. While the nationwide announced “Long Night of Vaccination” is making big waves in several federal states, the situation in Saxony-Anhalt looks somewhat different. Only four pharmacies are taking part in this campaign. To be more precise, these are pharmacies in Halle, Merseburg and Stendal, as stern.de reports.

“In this country, vaccination in pharmacies plays a relatively minor role,” says Mathias Arnold, chairman of the state pharmacists’ association. The majority of the population prefers the traditional route via their family doctor. In fact, Saxony-Anhalt is ahead with an influenza vaccination rate of 54.9 percent, which means, however, that many who want to be vaccinated have already done so. This high vaccination rate also slows down the supply in pharmacies. Not only do you need a dedicated space for vaccinations, you also need to plan for staff, although demand remains manageable.

Low demand and high vaccination rates

Compared to other federal states, around 90 percent of pharmacies in Saxony-Anhalt have the necessary additional qualifications for vaccinations, but demand remains relatively low. In 2024/2025, only around 122,000 people were vaccinated against flu and 80,000 against COVID-19 in pharmacies. These numbers are contrary to the wishes of many citizens. A current Forsa survey shows that 46 percent of those surveyed could imagine getting vaccinated in pharmacies. Among those under 30, the figure is even 59 percent, as lav-san.de states.

The goal of the “Long Night of Vaccination” is clear: vaccination rates should be increased and gaps in protection should be closed. A similar picture can be seen in other federal states. In Saxony, for example, the campaign is supported by only a few pharmacies, with participation from five pharmacies in cities such as Leipzig and Dresden, as volksstimme.de reports. The call for participation also comes from Health Minister Petra Köpping, who emphasizes that the flu is not a harmless cold and that a vaccination definitely makes sense.

Looking ahead to the next steps

Vaccination in pharmacies still has to become established, especially in federal states such as Saxony-Anhalt. The Saxon Pharmacists Association is planning improvements and more participation in vaccination campaigns for the coming year. In the meantime, it remains to be hoped that the initiative will make the desired impression and that more people will find their way to pharmacies to get vaccinated against flu and COVID-19 - even outside of regular opening hours. In this way, each individual could contribute to better protecting the community from infections.