After a court decision: the CDU is considering suspending the partial vaccination requirement

After the Federal Constitutional Court approved the partial vaccination requirement, the CDU brought up a suspension. A nursing association fears a wave of layoffs after the verdict. Other experts do not see this danger.

Despite confirmation by the Federal Constitutional Court, the Union is bringing up a suspension of compulsory vaccination for employees in clinics and care facilities.

The partial vaccination requirement is required under the conditions of a dangerous virus variant, said Union parliamentary group Vice Sepp Müller (CDU) to the editorial network Germany. “In view of the milder courses by Omikron and the still many open questions in the practical implementation, however, it must be checked whether the facility-related vaccination requirement is still appropriate and proportionate,” he emphasized.

Parliamentary question should bring clarity

The Union parliamentary group will put a parliamentary question to the federal government on questions of implementation. “If the answers are still unsatisfactory, we as a Union will seriously talk to the traffic light about suspending compulsory vaccination,” said Müller.

Yesterday, the Federal Constitutional Court declared the facility-related compulsory vaccination in the healthcare system to be legal. The court rejected constitutional complaints from around 50 people. The vaccination requirement for employees of homes, hospitals and medical practices came into force in mid-March.

Association fears retirement of nurses

This confirmation by the Federal Constitutional Court met with mixed reactions in the care sector. The Federal Association of Private Providers of Social Services was critical: “We would have liked a signal from the court for milder means such as strict testing requirements and the maintenance of the other previous protective measures,” said association president Bernd Meurer to the editorial network Germany.

Now there is a risk that nurses will retire from the profession. “In view of the already existing staff shortages in some regions, this could endanger the supply.”

Experts consider layoffs to be unlikely

The German Professional Association for Nursing Professions does not see this danger. “With the introduction of facility-related compulsory vaccination, we saw that there was no wave of layoffs,” said President Christel Bienstein of the RND. “We assume that the judgment will not change anything.”

The association of sisterhoods from the DRK made a similar statement. “The confirmation of the legality of the vaccination requirement in health care facilities by the Federal Constitutional Court will have no effect on the vaccination rate in hospitals and care facilities,” said the association’s president, Gabriele Müller-Stutzer, to the RND. “Given the verdict, a wave of layoffs is also not to be expected.”