Status: 07/13/2021 1:36 p.m.
Once again, Chancellor Merkel and Health Minister Spahn called on people to be vaccinated. The more you are vaccinated, the freer you can live again, said Merkel. Both of them refused to be vaccinated.
Chancellor Angela Merkel and Health Minister Jens Spahn have appealed to people in Germany to get vaccinated. “The pandemic has shown us all that we are mutually vulnerable and that we are all dependent on each other,” said Merkel during a visit to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Berlin. Vaccination may seem superfluous or threatening to some. That’s why she told everyone who was still unsure: “A vaccination not only protects you, but also someone you are close to, who is important to you, who you love.”
A vaccination not only protects against serious illness, but also from the stressful restrictions of everyday life. “The more we are vaccinated, the freer we will be again, the freer we can live again,” said the Chancellor. In order to cope with more aggressive variants of the virus, 85 percent of 12 to 59-year-olds would have to be vaccinated, as well as 90 percent of those over 60. “We are still a long way from these vaccination quotas.” Without significantly higher rates, there will be very high numbers of Covid 19 cases again.
Merkel rejected a mandatory vaccination like in France. “We have no intention of going the route that France suggested. We said there would be no compulsory vaccination,” she said. They do not believe that changing this statement can gain confidence. You can win that by promoting vaccination.
Spahn: “There are no more excuses”
Spahn also stated that there would be no compulsory vaccination. But he spoke of a “vaccination requirement”. US President Joe Biden described vaccination as a patriotic duty. He was right about that, said Spahn. The more people got vaccinated now, the easier it is to get through autumn and winter. “It is up to us to make the decisive difference in the next few weeks.” The vaccination rate is high. “But we can see that it subsides.”
Spahn referred to the good supply situation with vaccines. Appointments are also easy to get. “There are no more excuses,” he said. “Also vaccinate yourself to protect our children and adolescents.” After the young people had given up a lot in the last few months, the adults now also have to be considerate of them.
The number of vaccinations is falling
Merkel and Spahn had previously exchanged ideas with the RKI’s President Lothar Wieler during their visit. Among other things, it was about the influence of vaccinations on the course of the pandemic against the background of increasing numbers of infections from the delta variant of the coronavirus.
Currently, more than 58 percent of people in Germany have received a corona vaccination. About 43 percent have full protection, which most manufacturers require two vaccinations. The number of vaccinations has recently decreased.
France and Greece announced a mandatory vaccination for health workers on Monday evening.