[ad_1]
Saturday, January 02, 2021
“It works as planned”
Spahn defends the speed of vaccination and makes promises
Criticism of the slow start of vaccination in Germany is mounting. Health Minister Spahn defends the pace. All in all, things are going well, he says in “RTL Aktuell”. He promises that all nursing home residents will be vaccinated before the end of the month and comments on the extension of the closure.
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn has defended the speed of vaccines in Germany against criticism from the SPD, the opposition and doctors. “It is going exactly as planned,” the CDU politician said on “RTL Aktuell.” By the end of the year, 1.3 million doses of vaccine had been delivered to the federal states. By the end of January, there would be a total of 4 million cans of Biontech. That is exactly the amount it had advertised for weeks, “with the hint that it would be low at the beginning and therefore must be prioritized.”
The vaccination works “generally well”. He was well prepared in the care facilities and vaccination centers. “By doing everything it works out as it should. That of course it would be better to have more vaccines is out of the question and that is exactly what we are trying to do.” The federal government is talking to Biontech and the state of Hesse about creating an additional production facility in Marburg in February. The Biontech and Pfizer vaccine is so far the only one approved in the EU.
Spahn promised that all nursing home residents will be vaccinated in the course of January. “We can achieve this goal in January. And we want to and will achieve it with the federal states.” It makes a “crucial difference in the course of the pandemic” if it is successful. The virus is particularly brutal on the premises.
For more school closings
Spahn also spoke in favor of maintaining the national shutdown after January 10. “In view of the still too high numbers, it is necessary to extend the measures, the restrictions,” said the CDU politician on “RTL Aktuell.” There is currently a maximum number of corona patients in intensive care units. It is now “absolutely” necessary to reduce the incidence of infections and keep them low for a longer period of time. “That’s better than relaxing too soon and then possibly facing tough questions again in a few weeks.”
Next Tuesday, the federal and state governments will negotiate the new blockade measures. Then it will be necessary to discuss for how long and to what extent they should be expanded, Spahn said. He also believes that schools and nurseries should be closed again. That is difficult for students and parents. “But the following also applies here: It’s easier for everyone to have schools for one more week than to open them and then face debates again sometime in a few weeks.” It is easier to get an extension of the vacation than at a later time.
