These people may not be vaccinated against Covid-19

A corona vaccine could be available in Germany in just a few days. Who will get vaccinated first, who are exempt, and what about mandatory vaccination?

The approval of a corona vaccine in Germany is imminent. Many questions are already being asked, especially about its distribution and the organization of vaccines.

Who will get vaccinated against Covid-19 first?

Federal Minister of Health Jens spahn (CDU) hopes that the first corona vaccines can be started by the end of the year. But in view of the comparatively low amounts initially expected, the vaccine is unlikely to be sufficient for all German citizens. Therefore, priority groups have been defined.

Therefore, the first priority would be the elderly, people with previous illnesses, as well as people employed in care and hospitals. “Our goal is that the first risk groups and health workers are vaccinated from January,” says von Spahn. Likewise, people who hold key positions in society and for public order should be vaccinated first, that is, employees of the health authorities, police, firefighters, teachers and educators.

This was the swine flu pandemic
At Swine flu In 2009/2010 no vaccine could be produced for the entire population. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that medical personnel and systemically important groups such as police and firefighters be given top priority. In addition, priority was given to vaccinating the chronically ill, young children and pregnant women.

What groups of people cannot get vaccinated?

Some groups of people will not be vaccinated against Covid-19 at the moment. The reason: Based on the current state of research, the side effects and risks have not been sufficiently investigated yet. For some people, therefore, the security concerns are too great.

People who are already infected are not vaccinated.

Anyone infected with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 you will not be vaccinated at first. According to Stiko, this is not necessary. However, it is not yet clear whether those who have recovered from Covid-19 will be offered a vaccine later.

People with certain pre-existing conditions have to wait

Some people with cancer, bleeding tendencies, and immunodeficiencies will not be vaccinated at this time. The reason: They were not included in the vaccine studies and it is not clear how they tolerate vaccination.

Other patients at risk with, for example, heart disease or HIV however, he participated in the studies. You can get vaccinated.

Children will not be vaccinated at this time

For the children it will be according to that Robert Koch Institute (RKI) did not initially administer a vaccine, “because its effectiveness and safety in children and adolescents has not yet been sufficiently proven.” The RKI gives the following reasons for this:

• Covid-19 vaccines are developed primarily for adults. Initially, the focus is on protecting those who are tougher COVID-19 to get sick. It is especially about the elderly and / or people with previous illnesses.
• From what we know, children in kindergartens and elementary schools do not seem to drive the infection process in a particular way and are less likely to get sick than adults.
• For ethical reasons, children are generally not destined for the early testing phases. Before testing a vaccine in children, you must first make sure that there are no side effects in adults.

Children: generally do not participate in vaccine studies. (Source: izusek / Getty Images)

Biontech and Pfizer test corona vaccine in teens

However, according to the RKI, vaccination studies involving children and adolescents are being planned and have already started on a small scale. The companies Biontech and Pfizer, for example, have received FDA approval for their Corona vaccine It can also be tested on young people from the age of twelve. Until now, the subjects were between 18 and 85 years old.

The British pharmaceutical company Astrazeneca wants to test its corona vaccine in a study subset in the UK in children aged five to twelve. The American manufacturer Moderna has also announced that it will start a corona vaccine study with children and adolescents between the ages of twelve and 17.

Covid-19 vaccines have not yet been tested in pregnant women

Pregnant women are also not usually involved in vaccine studies. Therefore, you will not receive the corona vaccine at this time. Therefore, Stiko recommends vaccinating the closest contact persons of pregnant women, that is, their partners.

Vaccine maker Biontech announced in early December that studies with pregnant women were planned. A specific date has not yet been set.

Will there be a corona vaccination requirement?

The German Ethics Council, the Permanent Commission on Vaccination and the Leopoldina National Academy of Sciences are against the general obligation to vaccinate against Coronavirus in Germany. Vaccines require informed and voluntary consent, the scientific organizations explained. Therefore, compulsory vaccination should be excluded.

At most, if there are serious reasons, a clearly defined group of people can be justified in compulsory vaccination, for example, for employees who are in constant contact with high-risk patients.

Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn also highlighted the voluntary nature of vaccination at a press conference in November.

Vaccination center: The procedure for corona vaccination is rehearsed beforehand. (Source: Stefan Puchner / dpa)

When and where can I get vaccinated against Covid-19?

There is still no vaccine available against the coronavirus in Germany. But pharmaceutical companies such as Biontech and Pfizer, as well as Moderna, have already submitted an application for approval in the EU. The European Medicines Agency Ema, which is responsible for approval, wants to decide on approval recommendations for corona vaccines in December. At the earliest, a drug could be approved in Germany at the end of this year or early next.

The organization of corona vaccinations is already in full swing. The federal government is responsible for acquiring the vaccine and delivering it to the federal states. The vaccines will be distributed in about 60 locations in Germany, depending on the proportion of the population.

Federal states establish vaccination centers

In a first phase, Covid-19 vaccines will be administered through the vaccination centers in the individual federal states. These should be ready for use by December 15th. There they are vaccinated with the support of resident doctors or agencies such as the Red Cross. It is estimated that at least 1,500 people can be vaccinated at a vaccination center every day, and in some places significantly more.

In the initial phase, the mobile vaccination teams coordinated by the vaccination centers will mainly target nursing homes and nursing homes. For other people at risk, appointments will be made by phone or digitally, for example through call centers or the national service number 116117. In the second phase, when more vaccine is available to the general public, vaccinations can be performed in normal medical practices.

Do I have to pay for the corona vaccination?

The federal government emphasizes that citizens should not incur any cost for a vaccine. “The vaccination will be free,” said a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Health in early December. This will apply regardless of the type of insurance.