Germany is speeding up vaccinations. More than 1 million people were vaccinated on Thursday, a record number. Chancellor Olaf Solz’s government’s first bet is to increase vaccinations in the next few days so that 30 million people have been vaccinated in the next three weeks by the end of the year.
This morning, the German parliament gave, as expected, the green light to the mandatory vaccination of health workers, setting a deadline of March 15 for them to be vaccinated or to submit the necessary certificates.
In his maiden address to parliament as Health Minister, Social Democrat Karl Lauterbach stressed in his speech that the new government’s priority is to fight the pandemic, adding that the main concern is to protect the population and the rapid end of the health crisis.
“Stop Delta and prevent Omicron”
The new minister, who was a professor of medicine in Cologne, was optimistic that the Soltz government would achieve the 30 million vaccination target by the end of the year, stressing that anyone who wanted to be vaccinated would be able to do so, as stocks vaccines are sufficient. At the same time, however, he made it clear that these vaccinations are not enough to defeat the pandemic once and for all.
“Our goal is,” said Karl Lauterbach, “to significantly reduce the Delta mutation by Christmas so that the population can move safely over the holidays.” from the podium of the German parliament.
“Compulsory vaccination is a matter of time for everyone”
At the same time, in a pre-publication of an interview in Der Spiegel magazine, which is published today, Karl Lauterbach takes it for granted that when, in the new year, the universal compulsory embolism passes through parliament, fines will be imposed on those who do not discipline. He even said that the fines will be increased for those who refuse to be vaccinated. “However, I am sure,” said the health minister, “that many will rush to get vaccinated as soon as it is announced that compulsory vaccination is underway for everyone.”
At the same time, the new Minister of Health spoke, speaking in the German magazine, in favor of the mandatory vaccination of kindergarten teachers. “Based on the data available to us, the Omicron mutation affects children much more than the known mutations,” said Karl Lauterbach, adding that children are more often infected and more seriously ill, and that vaccination is becoming increasingly important.
DW – Stefanos Georgakopoulos
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