Cleaning Staff Versus Doctors: “Arrogance and Arrogance”: Vaccine Dispute Intensifies

meIt’s one of the most pressing questions when it comes to corona vaccine distribution: who’s the turn and when? Because the first few batches will not be enough for all Germans, the federal government must set priorities.

But as soon as the Standing Commission for Vaccination (Stiko) of the Robert Koch Institute and the Federal Ministry of Health presented a plan before a dispute develops. That is, between individual professional groups. Already in early December, there were protests by doctors in private practice. That some of the colleagues were placed at the level with only a “moderate risk of exposure” was “strange,” said Dirk Heinrich, president of the Virchow Association, which represents doctors residing in Germany. “You share this classification with the cleaning staff in clinics and doctors,” said the head of the association by way of comparison.

This statement caused great annoyance among building cleaners. The statement was “hard to beat in arrogance and arrogance,” it said in a letter to Heinrich a few days ago. The letter, which the professional building cleaning guild wrote in a rare agreement with the IG Bau union, is available to WELT.

“We can’t see what is supposed to be strange,” he continues. Employees did important work in clinics, homes, and doctors’ offices. “They are exposed to very high dangers every day without having an academic training.” The doctors’ statement is more suitable as an admission for a satirical magazine than for a reasonable statement, the employers and the union write.

Specialists only in the third vaccination group

On Friday, the Federal Minister of Health, Jens Spahn (CDU), signed an ordinance regulating the sequence of corona vaccinations. “Top priority” is given to all people over 80 years of age, people in hospital and health care facilities, and people in medical facilities who are at particularly high risk, such as nursing homes. intensive.

Those older than 70 years, as well as general practitioners, but also employees of the public health service, continue with “high priority.” Only in a third step is it the turn of people over 60 years of age and people who work in medical facilities with low risk of contagion, for example in specialized consultations.

Pharmacists, civil servants and teachers also belong to this level. In his ordinance, Health Minister Spahn relied on a recommendation from Stiko, which experts published last week. This provided for five different priority groups instead of the current three in the current regulation.

“Develop more prioritization”

In the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), discussions about a vaccine ranking are not seen at the end. “Focusing on vulnerable groups and the employees who care for them first is wise, given the limited amount of vaccine,” says Anja Piel, a member of the DGB board. “However, after the first vaccination runs, the legislator must continually develop the prioritization of areas and professional groups and adapt the vaccination strategy so that, if necessary, employees in areas of general interest can also be immunized. that were not initially classified as priority. “

Not to be outdone, some representatives vigorously advertise to high-ranking decision makers. The German Firefighters Association was also not satisfied with the original classification of its employees. “The work of the fire brigade, which is always characterized by hazards, is of particular relevance to the system and forms the backbone of hazard prevention in Germany,” said the association’s vice president, Hermann Schreck.

Recently, he described his concerns in a letter to the federal Minister of Health, Spahn. In his recommendation, Stiko had assigned firefighters to the “slightly higher risk group”. In the vaccination ordinance of the Federal Ministry of Health, they are on the same level as educators, garbage disposals and employees of the food retail sector.

Of course, the association shares the view that vulnerable groups should quickly receive protection from vaccination. However, in an immediately later step, the authorities and organizations with security tasks must urgently have their turn. “In the area of ​​rescue services, patient transport and technical assistance in particular, direct contact with people cannot be avoided despite protective equipment and specific deployment concepts,” says Schreck, explaining his concern.

Is the vaccine patch carpet looming?

Fire departments are now demanding that federal states ignore the proposed priorities when implementing them. “The association strongly suggests a modified application in the federal states,” it says in a statement. According to the Infection Protection Law, the highest state health authorities are in charge of making public recommendations, the association clarifies.

“Again we have the problem that there is no uniform line for the Federal Republic, but the states themselves decide the implementation,” criticized Christiane Woopen, a specialist in medical ethics and president of the European Council of Ethics. “The fact that individual associations are now lobbying for their employees is understandable, but problematic.”

The so-called systemic relevance of an industry is not sufficient as an argument to prioritize the distribution of vaccines. Consideration should also be given to how well employees working in industry can protect themselves in other ways, for example with protective gear or quick test options. “We are dealing with a combination of different possible goals,” says Woopen, namely: preventing serious and fatal courses for many people, preventing the spread of the virus for public health and social for society. To ease loads. “It is difficult to achieve all these goals at the same time,” says the medical ethicist.

Will there be a wave of vaccine lawsuits?

Precisely for this reason, from the expert’s point of view, a law would have been necessary to regulate distribution. “The participation of the legislature would have provided more clarity and perhaps more confidence in the public,” Woopen said. The current decision is based solely on an ordinance of the Federal Ministry of Health. The Scientific Service of the Bundestag also criticizes it. “The prevailing view that prioritizing certain population groups regarding access to vaccines requires a formal law must be accepted,” says a recently published report. This should at least regulate the essential criteria for the distribution of a scarce vaccine.

A participation of the Bundestag would also have provided more legal certainty. A law, unlike a ministerial ordinance, has a special final power and can only be collected by the constitutional court. Medical ethicist Woopen believes that there will now be demands for preferential access to the vaccine. “I think it’s very likely,” Woopen said. After all, the courts have been in continuous operation during the months of the pandemic.

Previous vaccinations with the help of a lawyer? This is likely to put those who do not have the money to enforce the law at a disadvantage. Even now, socially disadvantaged people in particular are suffering the consequences of the corona pandemic, Woopen said. “Not only is it more affected by pandemic-related income losses, but it is also often at increased risk of severe corona courses due to previous illnesses.”

However, it is still unclear whether the dispute between the building cleaners and the resident doctors will move to the next round. A reaction from the doctors remains to be seen.