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Spahn announces vaccination offer for all “in the second trimester” and is relativized later
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Vaccine Candidates and Their Methods at a Glance
The first is already there, and more will follow: a total of six vaccines could receive EU approval in 2021. An international comparison also shows how Germany is lagging behind when it comes to vaccination.
Health Minister Spahn was criticized for the start of vaccination in Germany, also by coalition partner SPD. Now he announced that there would be a vaccination offer for all interested “probably in the second quarter of 2021.” Later he relativized this statement.
secondUndes Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) has announced a vaccination offer for all interested parties “probably in the second quarter of 2021” at a meeting of the Union’s digital parliamentary group according to information from WELT. WELT learned this from various participants in the meeting. The information was quite amazing, until now there was talk of a start of vaccination for everyone since the summer. Later, Spahn relativized his statement and reiterated the time goal of “making a vaccination offer to all Germans in the summer.”
There was no criticism of Spahn at the meeting. Rather, the minister was praised for his commitment. The criticism that too few vaccinations were carried out, the minister reportedly relayed to the federal states. The “pleading request to act uniformly” was in vain, so Spahn.
There are very different procedures in the countries regarding the speed of vaccination and appointments. Some of those who are willing to get vaccinated are stuck on emergency phone lines for a long time. For their part, the federal states criticize the federal government for not having purchased enough vaccines. Here Spahn announced significant improvements.
At the meeting, the minister calculated that Germany would receive 90 million doses of the vaccine from the Biontech / Pifzer company through purchases from the EU and another 30 million from a national contract this year. It puts the amount of Moderna’s vaccine, which Spahn expects to receive near-term approval, at 50 million doses by all of 2021. In total, 170 million doses from the two manufacturers would be available to around 83 million people.
According to the information, Spahn also announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will allow approval for the use of six doses of vaccine per ampoule of the Biontech vaccine. So far, only five doses have been taken from one vial, the rest expire.
Brinkhaus defends Spahn
The leader of the union parliamentary group Ralph Brinkhaus had previously defended Health Minister Spahn against criticism of the SPD’s vaccination strategy. “All major decisions are made in the Corona cabinet. There is also a (finance minister) Olaf Scholz, there are also ministers from the SPD,” Brinkhaus said Monday before a digital briefing by the Union parliamentary group on the situation in the corona pandemic and vaccination strategy after harsh criticism from SPD secretary general Lars Klingbeil. “People die every day. And I don’t just stand there and play coalition games.”
If something went wrong, Brinkhaus demanded that we work together to see how things could go better. He could only warn everyone in charge “to sneak off the ship like this.” Klingbeil had criticized the vaccination strategy in the ARD and asked Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) to intervene. Germany is in a worse position compared to other countries, he said, adding: “We are seeing these days that there are chaotic conditions.”
EU rejects accusation that vaccination starts too slowly
The EU Commission defended its coronavirus vaccination strategy against criticism. The main problem is currently that of production capacity, EU Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said on Monday, everyone is facing this challenge. Contracts have been signed giving member countries access to two billion doses (of vaccines), enough to vaccinate the entire EU population.
In addition, Mamer clarified the commission’s role in dealing with vaccine manufacturers: it did not buy the vaccine doses directly, but acted as an “investor” to allow funding for the development of the vaccine. The aim was to expand production capacities and leave all EU countries free to decide how many cans they wanted from the manufacturer of their choice. In the end, the vaccines would have to be produced and distributed, sometimes with complex supply chains, Mamer said. Vaccination programs have just started; There should be bulk deliveries in April.
When asked why the EU Commission had no longer ordered vaccines from the partnership between Biontech and Pfizer, the EU Commission’s health policy spokesperson, Stefan de Keersmaecker, said that the main philosophy behind this was diversify the portfolio.
