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Germany’s Disappointing Vaccination Record: Hope for Improvement?
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The vaccination summit should provide clarity on the schedules and available vaccines
Politicians are calling for more clarity on the schedules, vaccination priorities and vaccines available from the Corona vaccination summit on Monday. Faced with criticism for the slow start of vaccination and production problems, Merkel wants to discuss the situation with the prime minister.
Berlin and Brussels are working hard to get back on the offensive with the vaccination campaign. But other countries are far ahead in supplying the vaccine. Also thanks to Russia and China. Now two vaccination summits will be judged.
reThe fight for the acquisition of the corona vaccine for Germany and Europe is becoming increasingly bitter. This week there was a scandal between the EU Commission and the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. There is also confusion about the approval of the vaccine for the elderly. Brussels and Berlin want to clarify pressing issues at two major vaccination summits this week: Sunday in Brussels and Monday in Berlin. Is there any chance to control the vaccine chaos? And when can you foresee when vaccination will also start in Germany? An overview.
How far behind is Germany now?
There’s no question: Germany’s vaccination record to date is disappointing. So far, only 1.8 million people have been vaccinated, corresponding to just under 2.2 percent of the population. In a global comparison, Germany, measured by the number of vaccine doses administered per 100 inhabitants, has now dropped to 13th place and therefore looks pale in a European comparison. The pioneers in Europe are currently two non-EU countries, namely Great Britain and Serbia. Both show the EU that with their national strategies they are much better prepared for their vaccination campaign than Germany. But EU members Ireland, Spain, Italy and Poland also do better than Germany.
Why are others faster?
In Israel and the US, better supply of vaccines in particular made it easier to start vaccines, but within the EU the argument does not apply: the EU Commission purchases vaccines centrally for all 27 member states. Instead, the different vaccination rates in Europe also have a lot to do with who gets vaccinated first. In Germany, this has so far been mainly patients in nursing homes, in Italy medical staff, which is easier to implement logistically. In Spain, on the other hand, in some regions vaccination is also carried out on holidays and weekends.
In the case of European vaccination champion Serbia, there is another reason: the country has also been using the Russian vaccine Sputnik V and the vaccine from the Chinese company Sinopharm for a few weeks. Both products are not approved in the EU. However, Hungary withdrew and, after placing an order for Sputnik V, it has now also purchased five million doses of vaccines from China, a new regulation by President Viktor Orbán has made this possible.
Source: WORLD infographic
How much vaccine does Germany receive?
According to the Health Ministry, the federal government receives a total of around 242 million cans through previous EU contracts with manufacturers. Of this, AstraZeneca accounted for approximately 56.2 million doses, 55.8 million for the Biontech and Pfizer vaccine and 50.5 million doses for the Moderna vaccine. There are also around 37.25 million cans from a contract with the American company Johnson & Johnson and 42 million cans from the Tübingen-based company CureVac. The last two vaccines mentioned are not yet fully developed.
Germany has also reserved 30 million cans from Biontech and 20 million cans from CureVac through national contracts. But both Biontech / Pfizer and AstraZeneca are currently unable to keep their original delivery commitments due to production issues.
What is the dispute with AstraZeneca about?
Last year, the EU Commission made the decision in favor of the AstraZeneca vaccine relatively early: the contract was signed at the end of August; at Biontech / Pfizer and Moderna, negotiators in Brussels took longer. The EU has reserved a total of 300 million doses of vaccines with the option of 100 million more from AstraZeneca. However, with 31 million cans, the company can initially deliver significantly less than the agreed 80 million. Production problems in Belgium are cited as the reason.
In the UK, on the other hand, the manufacturer has apparently been able to meet the quantities planned so far. This is causing discontent in the EU. After pressure from Brussels, the group finally published parts of the purchase agreement on Friday. In addition, the president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wants to connect with the heads of several vaccine manufacturers this Sunday. At the same time, the EU is now forcing manufacturers to report crown vaccine exports to Brussels that have already taken place and will be in the future. The new regulation aims to ensure that sufficient doses have been delivered to EU members before the coveted vaccine is exported to third countries.
What do the AstraZeneca vaccine approval recommendations mean?
Regardless of the dispute over deliveries, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine. It can now be used as the third approved Covid-19 vaccine in the EU for all adults over 18 years of age. In Germany, on the other hand, the Standing Commission on Vaccination of the Robert Koch Institute recommends that the preparation only be used in the age group up to 64 years, because the effectiveness has not been sufficiently proven in older people. The consequences of this for German vaccination plans are not yet clear. It is conceivable that a large part of the medical personnel belonging to the highest priority level may receive this vaccine primarily. According to AstraZeneca boss Pascal Soriot, the EU will receive the first three million cans next week.
What other vaccines could follow soon?
Other Covid 19 vaccines could provide future relief. In addition to the CureVac preparation, which could be approved in the second quarter, the vaccine from the US manufacturer Johnson & Johnson is included. Unlike previously available preparations in the EU, your product only needs to be inoculated once, which significantly simplifies logistics. However, at 66 percent, it is less effective than other vaccines that are already available.
The US manufacturer Novavax’s vaccine, which recently showed 90 percent effectiveness, is also raising hope. The EU Commission has been negotiating with the company for months and a contract appears to be imminent. The vaccine will be produced in Saxony-Anhalt, among other places, and in the future it could help ensure that Germany finally advances vaccination.
This text is from WELT AM SONNTAG. We will be happy to take them to your home periodically.
Source: Welt am Sonntag
