Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (58, SPD) has only been in office for two days – and already has bad news for the Germans:
Corona will be with us for years to come!
“It will take us to defeat Corona completely in the foreseeable future (his term of office, ed.) – four years – fail. You have to be realistic, ”said Lauterbach on BILD Live.
►The reason: always new Corona variants.
“The variants often arise in people who have immunodeficiency, who have autoimmune diseases, who have cancer. These variants continue for the time being, you have to realistically see it that way, ”explains the epidemiologist.
How dangerous the new omicron variant that has appeared in South Africa is is not yet clear, said the Minister of Health. “We know that Omikron is significantly more contagious. We know that Omikron also affects those who have already been infected – even those who have already been infected twice. We still know very little about the severity of the disease, ”Lauterbach continues.
Will a fourth vaccination be necessary?
But Lauterbach has hope of getting a grip on new variants. With the help of vaccinations: “What our goal can be, however, is that we have used such a dense and good range of vaccinations that even with new variants there is virtually no danger and that it does not spread any further. You have to work on that. ”
That is “a realistic goal”, said the Minister of Health, “and I’ve been working on it since the first hour since I entered the ministry – even before I was sworn in.”
With a view to Omikron, however, it seems to be “that the vaccinations without a booster will probably not be sufficient here”. Whether and when a fourth vaccination might be necessary “will depend very much on how severely you get Omikron and whether there are other variants,” he added.
“Vaccination is not a private matter”
It’s all about vaccination. That is why Lauterbach began his work in the Ministry of Health with a vaccine inventory: How much vaccine is in stock? When will which delivery come? Where else can you order cans?
“I checked that carefully, and I immediately got involved with the departments. I’ve already ordered vaccine to learn how to do it. “
14.5 of the promised 30 million vaccinations by Christmas have already happened.
Whether the goal can be achieved, “I don’t know, that remains to be seen,” said Lauterbach at BILD Live. But he is optimistic. And further: “If not, it will definitely not fail because of the vaccine. The vaccine is there for this goal ”, Lauterbach renewed the promise of his predecessor Jens Spahn (41, CDU).
“Vaccination is not a private matter,” said Lauterbach, referring to those who have not been vaccinated, who are significantly more likely to get seriously ill with corona and thus unnecessarily burden the health system.
“If the diagnosis has changed, a doctor must change the therapy”
► The fact is: On Friday, the Bundestag passed a facility-related vaccination requirement, for example for nurses in retirement homes and clinics. Lauterbach is now in favor of a general vaccination requirement, although he had ruled this out weeks ago.
The new variants are to blame for Lauterbach’s turnaround in vaccination requirements, Lauterbach told BILD Live: “If the diagnosis has changed, a doctor has to change the therapy. Delta ran through with full force and we now fear the Omikron variant. “
The reproductive value (Number of other people infected by an infected person), which is decisive for the question of compulsory vaccination, is now almost as high as measles and chickenpox. “And of course Corona is much more dangerous.”
Lauterbach wants to withstand critics of the mandatory vaccination
Therefore, it is also the duty of the state to protect the population from the disease – even if opponents of measures such as mandatory vaccination intervened violently.
“We have to fight for those who are at risk of becoming seriously ill here and it cannot be that a violent minority believes they can blackmail us,” he demanded.
Lauterbach himself was repeatedly the victim of attacks on his private apartment, his car and, most recently, his Cologne parliamentary office, as he reported to BILD Live when asked. “I’m in the focus of the debate, I have to live with that. But that’s not my main concern, I’m well protected. I think it’s terrible that there are such people. This is not about me. That won’t affect my work. “
“These are scientists, we do politics”
Confusion caused yesterday that Lauterbach indicated on Maybrit Illner’s ZDF talk show that a controversial BILD article had been removed from the homepage through his influence. That is not the case, the article is still online.
When asked about the article, Lauterbach clearly criticized the presentation in an interview with BILD Live: “Here, three scientists were described as being responsible for the Christmas lockdown, that was simply wrong. You can’t handle it like that. They are scientists, we do politics. “
Lauterbach’s advice for a safe Christmas
Despite new variants and many unvaccinated people, the minister gave hope that Christmas would be largely normal.
► His appeal: Do tests for several days in a row the days before the festival.
“If you celebrate together like that, you are safe. Then you meet the way people should meet who care for one another, ”says Lauterbach.
The decisive factor, however, is how the measures decided by the Bundestag on Friday are implemented and monitored. “If we manage to implement the measures, if we are as successful with the booster vaccination as in the last few days and if we are careful when traveling, then I believe that Christmas can succeed without endangering us,” said Lauterbach.
If the implementation does not work, further restrictions could be necessary, said the minister, “then we will have to restrict on the other side – in the sense of at least recommendations as to who can still visit whom at Christmas.”
Will the minister keep tweeting?
At least less, Lauterbach announced in an interview with BILD Live. “Unfortunately. Because the time to read studies is going back a bit. “
Lauterbach does not want to reveal who the first call went to when he became a minister: “To someone I value very much.” And when did his mother find out about his new state office? “Very fast. At the age of almost 87 she is interested in politics and follows my work critically. “
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