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Status: 27.03.2021 5:25 pm
Health Minister Spahn announced that a fourth vaccine, Johnson & Johnson, will be inoculated in Germany in mid-April. At the same time, he made it clear: Another 14 days of “proper closure” were urgently needed.
In light of the rapidly increasing number of coronavirus infections, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn is calling for another lockdown. “If we take the numbers, including today’s developments, we actually need another ten to 14 days to really close our contacts, our mobility,” Spahn said at an online discussion event hosted by the federal government. He called “when in doubt to implement more than state rules.”
Health Minister Spahn asks for very little contact during Easter
Michael Stempfle, ARD Berlin, daily news at 5:00 pm, March 27, 2021
The Robert Koch Institute today reported a seven-day incidence of 124.9. The value is now higher than since January 19. A lockdown is needed, similar to last year’s Easter, Spahn said. He would also rather spend Easter with a larger family, he said. “But it just won’t work this year.” If this wave can be broken before it becomes too big in April, then initial steps are also possible in cities and regions with a low number of infections, such as in Tübingen.
In the face of the infection process, Spahn warned that intensive care units were filling up with Covid 19 patients again. But there are fewer older people among them. Vaccination works, you can see that. However, more weeks have to be saved. “That can be very, very difficult again, well beyond the load limit, if we don’t break this wave,” Spahn warned.
“What is needed is a blockade similar to that of Easter last year.” Health Minister Spahn at the Federal Government discussion event.
Image: EPA
General practitioners should be able to vaccinate after Easter
Regarding the vaccination campaign, Spahn assumes that from the end of April / beginning of May 80,000 to 100,000 doctors’ offices could administer corona vaccines. After Easter, family doctors will begin to participate in the vaccination campaign, initially with the BionTech vaccine, Spahn said. The AstraZeneca vaccine will also be administered there later. After the general practitioners, the company doctors are added.
In addition to the practices, vaccination centers would also remain necessary, Spahn said. While general practitioners can offer vaccination consultations to their patients, vaccination centers are well suited to vaccinating certain professional groups on a large scale.
The Minister of Health also defended adherence to the prioritization of vaccination. It would not be correct to start vaccinating the young until you have finished with the older ones. “It saves lives, it is not a bureaucracy,” said the minister.
The EMA is reviewing three other vaccines
The president of the Paul Ehrlich Institute, Klaus Cichutek, gave hope for more vaccines in Germany. The European approval authority EMA is examining three additional preparations in a “continuous review process”. These are an mRNA vaccine from the Tübingen company CureVac, the Russian preparation Sputnik V and a vaccine from the Novovax company. In the “continuous review process”, test results are already verified, even if not all results are available.
Spahn added that Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, which has already been approved, will likely be used from mid-April, albeit in small quantities initially. There are about 275,000 doses of vaccine. “We found out yesterday,” said the CDU politician. Consequently, the funds from the US group are expected in the week of April 12. Unlike many others, the vaccine only needs to be injected once.
