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There is criticism of the federal government because vaccinations in Germany are progressing slowly. Are the accusations justified? And how could that change? The most important questions and answers.
By Sandra Stalinski, tagesschau.de
Is there a “vaccination chaos” in Germany?
Criticisms of a “slow start to vaccination” in Germany come from different directions. SPD Secretary General Lars Klingbeil spoke at ARD morning magazine of “chaotic states”. Germany is “much worse off than other countries.” Very little vaccine had been ordered and “barely prepared strategies were worked out with the federal states.” The Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Manuela Schwesig, the Prime Minister of Bavaria, Markus Söder, and health politicians from other parties made similar statements.
Leopoldina researcher Frauke Zipp had previously been highly critical of the government’s management strategy. In an interview with a newspaper, he spoke of the “grave failure of those responsible” and asked why they had not ordered more vaccines at risk in the summer. Health Minister Jens Spahn defended the Federal Government’s approach in an interview with the “Rheinische Post”: “The problem is not the quantity ordered. We have ordered enough. The problem is the low production capacity at the beginning, with a extremely high demand worldwide. ” It was clear that it would be tight at first.
According to the federal government, by the end of 2020 1.3 million doses of vaccines had been delivered as agreed, with 870,000 to be added on January 8. By the end of January, Spahn expects four million doses of the Biontech / Pfizer vaccine. The approval of the Moderna vaccine is imminent. In the case of Germany, the EU insures a total of 50 million cans. Negotiations are already underway at the national level on new doses.
One cannot speak of a vaccination chaos, say several health authorities of the countries when consulted by tagesschau.de. The only problem is the shortage of the vaccine. Karl Lauterbach, an SPD health expert, says the strategy of jointly ordering vaccines in Europe was the right one. However, the EU entered the negotiations with too little money, negotiated too long and supported the wrong horses. “If Moderna were a French vaccine, for example, we would certainly have asked for more,” Lauterbach said in an interview with tagesschau.de. From the beginning it was clear in specialist circles that this would be a very good vaccine. Instead, national considerations played a role, which they shouldn’t have.
Why are vaccines going so slowly?
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), nearly 266,000 doses of vaccines have been vaccinated across the country (as of January 4). Not much when you consider that 1.3 million doses of vaccines are already available. “With the decision to vaccinate first in nursing homes, it was clear that things would start more slowly. Mobile teams have to be deployed there, which is more complex than at the vaccination center, ”Spahn explains in the“ Rheinische Post ”. But he is confident that all nursing home residents will be offered a vaccine in January. If many were vaccinated, the pandemic would have lost some of its horror.
Another reason for the discrepancy is likely: because everyone must be vaccinated twice for the vaccine to be fully effective, countries retain half the vaccine to have enough doses for the second vaccine in each case. This procedure corresponds to a recommendation of the Permanent Commission of Vaccination (Stiko).
The federal states explain the low numbers so far mainly by the lack of availability of the vaccine. In Berlin, for example, in addition to the 60 mobile vaccination teams, only one of the six vaccination centers is operational because there is not enough vaccine to start in the other centers. There, according to the prescribed vaccination sequence, invitations were sent first to those over 90 years of age. For everyone else, the invitation makes no sense, says the coordinator responsible for vaccination Albrecht Broemme in an interview. tagesschau.de: “We cannot vaccinate more than we have vaccine.”
It is similar in Bavaria. There is a possibility of 38,000 vaccinations a day, seven days a week, according to the Bavarian Ministry of Health. According to the RKI, only 66,000 people have been vaccinated there so far. However, the RKI statistics record the numbers with some delay. According to the Bavarian Ministry of Health, just over 70,000 people have already been vaccinated.
How do I get a vaccination appointment?
Each federal state has regulated for itself how vaccination dates are assigned. In most countries, people with the right to vaccinate are written first and then can make appointments by phone or online. In Bavaria, for example, people over 80 years of age who do not live in a dwelling are informed by letter and can make appointments by phone on 116117. You are directly connected to the responsible vaccination center by checking the postal code. There is also its own online platform.
Also in Berlin, the invitation is initially in writing, appointments are booked by code by phone or online, and things are similar in Bremen.
In Hamburg, the vaccination center will start in the showrooms on Tuesday; an appointment must be made in advance online or by phone. In Hesse, vaccination centers are expected to start on January 19. In Rhineland-Palatinate, appointments will start on January 4 via the hotline 0800-5758100 or via the website impftermin.rlp.de.
Can’t speed up the vaccination process?
In fact, it is currently being examined whether the availability of vaccination doses can be increased in the short term by lengthening the time between the first and second vaccination. Based on approval, the second dose of vaccination should be administered no later than 42 days after the first. This is already done in the UK. The Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) has now asked Stiko to develop a recommendation on this issue, according to a document that also includes the ARD capital study Present. Such a decision that deviates from approval requires in-depth scientific consideration and weighing.
Furthermore, Biontech aims to double its production capacity. The purpose of this is to buy and install a vaccine plant in Marburg, according to the newspaper. The state of Hesse and the Paul Ehrlich Institute, as the highest federal authority, want to support and advise the company to the best of their ability to allow a rapid start of production in February 2021.
Will the vaccine be enough for Germany?
The key question is How fast how much vaccine is available. The European approval authorities and the Paul Ehrlich Institute are also currently verifying the AstraZeneca data. Its vaccine has already been approved in Great Britain.
In total, Germany has 55.8 million doses of the Biontech vaccine across the EU, as well as a safe option for another 30 million doses nationwide. Along with the Moderna vaccine, Germany will certainly receive 136.3 million doses in 2021, according to the Ministry of Health. Of the vaccines that have yet to be approved, Germany has obtained 42 million doses of CureVac across the EU, as well as 20 million doses nationally. AstraZeneca has ordered 56.2 million cans across the EU and 37.25 million cans from Johnson & Johnson. If all these vaccines were approved, it would be more than 300 million doses.
Until then, it will also be about distribution within Germany. Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher criticized the fact that not enough vaccine doses have been calculated for Hamburg, for example. Since priority healthcare workers would be vaccinated through their employers, the estimated vaccination doses for the 1.85 million hamburgers would not be enough. Since medical personnel also live in the vicinity, the need in the Hanseatic city is correspondingly greater. Therefore, a redistribution within Germany that goes beyond mere allocation according to population size must be discussed.
