On Fri, 30 Jan 2026 at 00:24, Adrian Bunk <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 23, 2026 at 09:04:05AM -0600, Gunnar Wolf wrote:
> >...
> > ## The **minimum** expected behaviour for all of our attendees is:
> >...
> > - You SHOULD get vaccinated against at least the most common infectious
> > diseases (COVID, flu) weeks or months before coming to DebConf.
> >...
> > ## The conference organisers will:
> >
> > - Strongly recommend vaccines for infectious diseases before attending
> > debconf (covid, flu, etc.)
> >...
>
> Chances are that everyone already had multiple covid infections during
> the past 6 years, which makes it a mostly moot question whether someone
> got a covid vaccination 5 years ago.
>
> I will be eligible for the next covid booster when I reach the age of 75,
> which is still a few decades away.
>
> Non-medical people trying to push covid vaccinations in the year 2026
> sounds to me like trying to continue an old culture war where everyone
> else has moved on years ago.
>
> Regarding flu, it's questionable whether conference organisers should
> give medical advice that contradicts the recommendations from the
> experts in the field of healthcare. At least here in Europe, flu
> vaccination tends to not be a recommended vaccination covered by
> public healthcare for working age people.
That is not entirely correct. I talked about the recommendations of the
STIKO commission in Germany with my family doctor. STIKO does not
*actively* recommend people under 60 with normal immune systems to always
get annual boosters for COVID or flu. That much is correct. However, that
is not the same as STIKO recommending *against* doing that. And that is
also the most broad and generic case for the general life conditions. As in
- if all you are doing is going to work and back and maybe go to a public
event from time to time. If you are over 60 or your work involves close
contact with people over 60 or with people likely infected (or with birds
or other farm animals), then STIKO does recommend annual boosters.
However, if you go to a doctor and tell them that you are going overseas to
a conference with 300+ people attending where you will be in close contact
for up to 2 weeks .... the doctor will strongly recommend you to have a
refreshed COVID and flu vaccination, *unless* you, personally, had strong
contraindications to these vaccinations in the past. Travel and a large
number of people from diverse locations greatly increases the infection
risk which naturally impacts the recommendation.
So, recommending annually refreshed COVID and flu vaccines for all DebConf
attendees (non-mandatory, consult your doctor for contraindications) is
very much in line with the up-to-date medical guidance. At least according
to my GP in Germany.
--
Best regards,
Aigars Mahinovs
