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In some areas of Bavaria, the start of corona vaccines scheduled for Sunday has been postponed for safety reasons. There was uncertainty as to whether the necessary cold chain was being followed when the vaccine was shipped. The Upper Franconian districts of Forchheim, Bayreuth, Coburg, Lichtenfels, Kronach, Kulmbach, Hof and Wunsiedel were affected.
The start of vaccination in Upper Franconia has been delayed in eight districts
The vaccine was to be delivered in shipping boxes from the Upper Franconian distribution centers in Bayreuth and Bamberg at a temperature of between two and eight degrees Celsius. A data logger monitored the constant temperature. However, recordings from the device also indicated temperatures beyond the eight degree limit.
District administrators argued that patient safety came first, that it had to be 100 percent guaranteed that the vaccine could be administered without hesitation. It was initially unclear when the situation there would also be clarified.
All clear in Swabia
There were also problems initially in some regions of Swabia: inconsistencies in temperature occurred in the districts of Augsburg and Dillingen. Augsburg District Manager Martin Sailer said there was a malfunction in the cooler.
After talks with the Swabian government and vaccine manufacturer Biontech, the go-ahead for vaccine deliveries could be given. The affected vaccine could be used without any problem, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Health.
According to the manufacturer Biontech, the vaccine should be stored for a longer period at minus 70 degrees. At vaccination centers, the vaccine can be stored in delivery boxes or refrigerators for up to five days between two and eight degrees. The actual vaccination can take place at room temperature, it is said.
Lower Franconia: Renewed declarations of consent sparked criticism
For employees of nursing homes in Lower Franconia, the last three days have been very busy, according to Würzburg district administrator Thomas Eberth. As he told the BR, the Bavarian Ministry of Health had issued new formal regulations for the declaration of consent for vaccination on Christmas Eve. This meant that caregivers or family members had to be contacted on short notice, who had to give their consent for vaccinations again for the people in care.
That was a success for the “Bergtheim Senior Center”. The director of the “Haus der Familie” nursing home in Windheim in the Bad Kissingen district, Peter Martin, said that the start of vaccination at his home with 52 residents will probably be delayed. After all, job supervisors are sometimes only available again in the new year after your vacation.
Dissatisfaction with early start of vaccination in Saxony-Anhalt
The early start of the vaccination campaign in Saxony-Anhalt also caused irritation. Yesterday, a 101-year-old woman received the first corona vaccine in Germany, followed by 40 other residents of a center for the elderly.
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn announced through a spokesman that he was happy with the vaccines in Halberstadt, but it had been agreed with all the EU partner countries, as well as the 16 federal states, to deliver them all on Saturday. and then along with the shots on Sunday. to start.
Approximately 150,000 doses of vaccines available nationwide
At the beginning of the vaccination campaign, each federal state received almost 10,000 doses, in Bremen it was a little less than 5,000, in Germany, which is a good 150,000 doses. A total of 1.3 million doses of vaccine will be delivered before the end of the year. By the end of March it should exceed ten million.
For the vaccine to be fully effective, it must be given a second time after about three weeks; an interval of 21 to 26 days is ideal, according to the Ministry of Health.
Politicians happy with the start of vaccination
In Berlin, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, the vaccination doses were the first to be administered today. All other federal states followed. Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) tweeted that the start of the vaccination gives hope and confidence.
Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) told “Bild am Sonntag” that there would be no special rights for vaccinated people. The distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated amounts to mandatory vaccination and goes against compulsion, Seehofer stressed.
Berlin Health Senator Dilek Kalayci (SPD), who was present at the first vaccination appointment in the capital, spoke of a “good start” for Berlin. “We are here to save lives,” he said.
The member of the Green Bundestag, Cem Özdemir, spoke on Twitter of “great news”. You will be vaccinated as soon as it is your turn.
Schleswig-Holstein Health Minister Heiner Garg (FDP) said he was very happy that vaccinations could already start this year. This is a big step in the fight against the pandemic.
Maas: a look beyond the German horizon
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas asked people to think outside the box when it comes to corona vaccines. The SPD politician told dpa that now it is a question of a fair distribution in the country itself. But at the same time, it must be ensured that the supply of vaccines to entire regions of the world is not cut off.
“Each and every one of us will only be safe when we are all safe in the world from this virus,” the minister emphasized. He warned that without widespread vaccine distribution around the world, the virus could return.
