Germany ignites the booster turbo.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (58, SPD) believes that Germany can still avert a further worsening of the corona pandemic due to the highly contagious Omikron variant – even without a new lockdown.
“I’m confident of that,” said Lauterbach on Wednesday in Berlin. An important component: the boosting!
Lauterbach said the federal-state resolutions on Tuesday also accelerated the decrease in the number of cases of infection. “We will see a further decrease in the number of cases, and we will run the booster campaign during this time,” said Lauterbach. “So we’re trying to avert a particularly heavy omicron wave.”
As of Tuesday, 28.1 million people in Germany had received a booster vaccination, said the chairman of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), Andreas Gassen (59). He praised: “The doctors in private practice have achieved really great things together with their teams.”
Photo: OMER MESSINGER / AFP
“data-zoom-src =” https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/der-vorsitzende-der-kassenaerztlichen-bundesvereinigung-kbv-andreas-gassen-59-5b7d500f6d0343d7ad0e08684b9623dd-78623280/Bild/8.bild.jpg ” /> The chairman of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), Andreas Gassen (59)Photo: OMER MESSINGER / AFP
And: more than half a million people received their first vaccination every week, 20 percent of them minors.
Lauterbach also wants to push the booster vaccinations against Corona at full speed over Christmas and the turn of the year. In addition to the 30 million booster vaccinations targeted by the end of the year since mid-November, 30 million more are to be added by the end of January. This could “dramatically” slow the spread of the virus.
▶ ︎ For the period between December 24th and January 9th, doctors and pharmacists are to receive the holiday rate of 36 euros instead of 28 euros for a vaccination. The Moderna vaccine is to be used in particular.
▶ ︎Andreas Gassen, called it “realistic” to achieve the vaccination goal by Christmas. “We vaccinate over six million people every week.” Two out of three vaccinations take place in the practices. 84,000 resident doctors took part in the vaccination – half general practitioners and half specialists.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (63, SPD) wants to achieve a vaccination rate of 80 percent by January 7th.
Lauterbach: Fourth vaccination probably needed
Health Minister Lauterbach, meanwhile, reckons that the booster injection will not end. One must assume that a fourth vaccination will be necessary, he said.
On the ZDF “heute Journal” he expressed himself even more clearly that evening: “We will need a fourth vaccination. That is already foreseeable. “
It could be that the protection of the previously administered booster vaccination “is not too permanent and we are prepared for it”. Biontech has therefore bought specific Omikron vaccine, “a total of 80 million doses, which we expect from April or May”.
Background: The day before, the federal and state governments had decided that by December 28th, at the latest, private gatherings for vaccinated and genesis patients would only be allowed with a maximum of ten people, major events would again have to take place in front of empty stands and clubs and discos would be closed.
The decisions are in response to a statement by the government’s new council of experts on Omikron, which had warned of the “explosive” spread of the Omikron variant.
Christmas: “Advise everyone to test themselves beforehand”
Wieler and Lauterbach appealed to people to spend Christmas in small groups. “Christmas is not supposed to be the spark that ignites the Omikron fire,” said the RKI boss.
Lauterbach said that Christmas days are not a particular epidemic challenge. Particular caution is advised, for example, at festivities.
“I advise everyone to test themselves beforehand.” It is preferable to do several tests in a row. “Small groups are better than large groups,” Lauterbach also emphasized.
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