The annual Oktoberfest celebration officially commenced in Munich on Saturday with the traditional tapping of the first beer keg, accompanied by the rallying cry “O’zapft is!” However, health officials are introducing a parallel slogan this year: “O’piekst is!” — meaning “It has been pricked” — as medical professionals set up vaccination stations within the festival grounds.
The initiative aims to boost uptake of flu and Covid-19 shots among attendees. Christoph Spinner, head of infectiology at Munich’s Rechts der Isar hospital, highlighted that the densely packed conditions in the beer tents significantly elevate the risk of disease transmission.
Spinner noted that the festival’s timing coincides with the onset of the annual flu season and expressed concern that vaccination rates remain low; fewer than one-third of individuals recommended for the flu jab have actually received it.
Beatrix Zurek, a health expert with the city-backed initiative “München impft!” (Munich vaccinates!), emphasized the importance of meeting people where they gather. “It’s our job to go where people are. And that means: Oktoberfest,” she stated.
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