[ad_1]
Not all citizens can be vaccinated against Corona right away. Therefore, there should be a prioritization. Read here the original draft of the vaccination concept and who could get vaccinated first.
Risk groups first, plus medical staff and nurses in particularly endangered areas – these people should be vaccinated against the coronavirus as a priority issue in Germany. Due to the limited availability of the vaccine at the moment, politicians and authorities must prioritize who will be protected as quickly as possible.
On Monday, the Standing Commission on Vaccination (Stiko) of the Robert Koch Institute presented a draft that was sent to the federal government, federal states and specialized societies for comment. Based on the recommendation, the Federal Ministry of Health apparently wants to issue an ordinance next week, the so-called Coronavirus Vaccination Ordinance.
Fundamental rights and sensitive ethical issues
Both documents are available on t-online. The draft recommendation of the Permanent Commission on Vaccination is marked as “confidential”. However, the same document also states that public interest in a Covid-19 vaccination recommendation is “rated very high.” Due to this particular public interest, t-online decided to publish both documents in their original form.
Extract from the draft recommendation of the Permanent Commission on Vaccination: t-online publishes the complete document. (Source: Permanent Commission on Vaccination / Screenshot: t-online)
This creates an objective basis for discussion about the distribution of the vaccine, the basic rights of all German citizens and sensitive ethical issues. The German Foundation for the Protection of the Patient criticized, for example, that the seriously ill and personnel in the health and care sector should not have the same priority. But she still hasn’t received the draft.
- You can find the Stiko document HERE (pdf)
Furthermore, the need to prioritize risk groups when the vaccine is only available to a limited degree is not in itself controversial, but the planned ordinance of the Federal Ministry of Health is. An expert opinion doubts the legality. The vice-president of the FDP parliamentary group, Stephan Thomae, had requested it from the Bundestag’s scientific service.
Do you have any information on one of our articles? Do you have information on areas that are closed to others? Would you like to discover complaints with the help of our reporters? Then please contact us at [email protected]
Rather, “the prioritization of certain population groups in access to vaccines requires a formal law,” says the document, since the decision on the matter would have a “high general relevance for fundamental rights” and would generate “intense concern individual”.
- You can find the draft of the Coronavirus Vaccination Ordinance HERE (pdf)
Therefore, Thomae demanded that the Bundestag “no longer be relegated to a mere spectator.” In a democracy, the parliament has to decide on the essential questions. “With the vaccine allocation we are distributing life chances in the truest sense of the word,” Thomae said. The plans also met with opposition from the health committee, to which the federal government reported on the planned regulation at a special meeting on Tuesday.
Federal Minister of Health, Jens Spahn: He wants to regulate vaccination by regulation. There are legal concerns and opposition to this in parliament. (Source: Political-Moments / imago images)
“The decision of who will be vaccinated against Covid-19 must first be made by the Bundestag,” said the health policy spokesman for the left-wing parliamentary group, Achim Kessler. An ordinance from Health Minister Jens Spahn is not enough. He also relies on the expert opinion of the Scientific Service requested by the FDP. Kessler fears “valuable time will be lost” if the ordinance is repealed by a court order.
- You can find the report HERE (pdf)
The recommendation of the Standing Committee on Vaccination is not yet final. Federal, state and professional associations have until Thursday to present their statements. The Commission is also awaiting, as can be seen from the document, a more detailed review of the efficacy and safety of the vaccines and their approvals.
The planned ordinance has also not been issued yet. It’s a draft, it could become legally binding on December 15. The federal government had announced that the vaccination centers would be ready for use in mid-December. Organizationally complex preparations for this are currently underway in city districts and districts. No vaccine has yet been approved. Several manufacturers have already applied for approval.
