The children’s vaccinations with a corona vaccine for five to eleven year olds start this week in Germany. In addition to pediatrician practices, child vaccinations are also provided in public vaccination centers, but not everywhere. In some places, special vaccination campaigns are also planned – in Berlin, for example, in the zoo or in the natural history museum, in Lower Saxony in the football stadium of Hanover 96 and in the zoo of the state capital. When it actually starts, however, differs from state to state.
According to the Ministry of Health on Sunday, more than 2.2 million doses of the children’s vaccine will be distributed to pharmaceutical wholesalers. In addition, there are also country contingents. Doctors’ offices order the vaccines through pharmacies. According to the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, which appealed to the Ministry, the practices have requested around 800,000 doses this week. These would be completely delivered from Monday to Wednesday at the latest. The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) had recommended vaccination of children aged five to eleven who have risk factors for a severe course of Covid-19 or relatives at high risk. In addition, parents can also have their healthy children vaccinated after they have been informed individually. The paper published on Thursday is not yet a final decision, as usual there is still a coordination process with specialist societies and countries.
In Bavaria According to Minister of Health Klaus Holetschek (CSU), children from the age of five should be able to be vaccinated from Wednesday in vaccination centers and medical practices – provided the federal government keeps its delivery promises. “We have already asked the vaccination centers to offer special family vaccination appointments,” said Holetschek. In addition, according to a ministry spokeswoman, the stations should be designed in a child-friendly manner, and the children should receive “give-aways” such as colored pencils.
In the vaccination centers of the municipalities and districts in North Rhine-Westphalia there should be an offer for five to eleven year olds from Friday. At least half of the vaccinations should be given by appointment. The North Rhine Pharmacists’ Association assumes that the first paediatricians will vaccinate with the children’s vaccine on Monday.
In Bremen A central child vaccination center for this age group has been set up, which will start operations on Tuesday. Pediatricians are available there for advice, and information material specially designed for children is created. Mobile vaccination offers for children are currently not planned.
The state government Rhineland-Palatinate is aiming for the start of the vaccinations in one of the nine centers in the country for Thursday. Parents have been able to register their children since December 1st. The main point of contact, however, should be the paediatricians, where appointments are made individually.
The Ministry of Health in Baden-Wuerttemberg For the vaccination of children aged five to eleven, initially mainly the pediatricians on the train. They know their patients best and know which children should be vaccinated as a priority, it said. In addition to the practices, there should also be vaccination campaigns in the city and rural districts and in clinics.
In Berlin Corona vaccinations for children in the three state-owned vaccination centers are to begin on Wednesday. Child vaccinations are also planned in primary schools by mobile vaccination teams. Vaccination offers for children are also planned for the Christmas holidays.
In Saxony-Anhalt According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, 87 paediatricians have so far agreed to vaccinate children of this age group, 40 of them have indicated their willingness to support vaccination centers if necessary. In addition, some rural districts and urban districts organized additional vaccination offers.
In Thuringia For the time being, 3000 appointments for vaccinations of five to eleven year olds have been activated in several public vaccination centers. “First of all, we are careful whether the promised vaccine actually arrives and whether the offer is accepted at all,” said the vaccination manager of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Jörg Mertz. From December 27th, the dates will be extended to vaccination centers throughout Thuringia.
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania the children of this age group should be vaccinated primarily by the pediatricians. Health Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD) said on Friday where vaccinating paediatricians are not available. In addition, vaccination campaign days for children and their families are being planned.
For five to eleven year olds, a lower-dose and differently bottled preparation is used compared to the conventional Biontech / Pfizer vaccine. According to Stiko, two doses of the mRNA vaccine should be given at intervals of three to six weeks. There is still no approved vaccine for even younger children.
The incidence continues to fall – to 389.2
The nationwide seven-day incidence fell again compared to the previous day. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) gave the value of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants and week on Monday morning at 389.2. For comparison: the previous day the value was 390.9. A week ago the nationwide incidence was 441.9 (previous month: 277.4).
The health authorities in Germany reported 21,743 new corona infections to the RKI within one day. Exactly one week ago there were 27 836 infections. According to the new information, 116 deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours. A week ago there were 81 deaths.
When evaluating the infection rate, it should be borne in mind that experts are currently assuming a noticeable underreporting. Health authorities and clinics can no longer keep up with reporting cases, at least in individual regions. (13.12.2021)
Ministers want to end the compulsory test for people vaccinated three times
In the coming week, the health ministers of the federal states want to discuss a nationwide elimination of the compulsory corona test for people who have been vaccinated three times. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) is preparing a proposal and wants to present it to the Health Ministers’ Conference on Tuesday, a spokesman for his ministry said on Sunday. The details should then be discussed. At first she had Picture on sunday reported.
The aim is to decide whether there should be no more compulsory testing for 2-G-plus rules (access for vaccinated and convalescent people plus a negative test) for people who have been vaccinated three times. In some federal states, people who have already received their booster vaccinations no longer need additional test evidence. There is currently no nationwide regulation.
Klaus Holetschek (CSU), chairman of the conference of health ministers, told the newspaper: “We countries need clarity quickly as to whether and from when the compulsory test can be waived for people who have been vaccinated three times.” Abolishing the compulsory test is “not only medically sensible, but also provides an additional vaccination incentive”. (12/12/2021)
Chancellor Scholz does not categorically reject the Christmas lockdown
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has advocated being flexible in taking countermeasures in the fight against the corona pandemic. “There must be no red lines, this has really shown us this pandemic. We always have to be ready to rethink, if the circumstances require it,” he said Picture on sunday. Then you have to act quickly and decisively. “We have just made a lot of money available so that the hospitals can offer enough intensive care beds despite the many corona patients,” said Scholz. “The firecracker ban on New Year’s Eve is also aimed at ensuring that no additional injuries burden the emergency rooms.”
The SPD politician did not categorically reject a Christmas lockdown. In response to a corresponding question, he said: “The federal government and the states have just taken very rigid measures. We will check on a daily basis how they are being implemented and whether they are sufficient.”
Above all, the new virus variant Omikron is causing concern. It is possibly even more contagious than the currently dominant highly infectious Delta variant. Experts expect the virus to spread quickly in Germany and – like politicians – call for vaccinations and booster vaccinations. As of Friday, around 17.7 million people have now received a booster vaccination – that’s around 21.3 percent of the population.
The federal government’s new corona expert council will meet on Tuesday
With a new committee of experts, the federal government wants to broaden its advice on the corona pandemic. “As the federal government, we want to base the fight against pandemics more on scientific expertise,” said Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD). It is important to seek advice from the broadest possible panel of experts. “We will meet on Tuesday and discuss how to proceed. For me, close cooperation with these scientists will be the basis of my policy.”
As the World on sunday reported, according to the list of members, include Christian Drosten, chief virologist at the Berlin Charité, and Hendrik Streeck, head of the virological institute at the Bonn University Hospital, among the members of the so-called “Scientific Expert Committee”.
In the past, both experts had expressed their opinions very differently on the measures required to cope with the crisis. Unlike Drosten, Streeck was never involved in corona consultations under Chancellor Angela Merkel. In addition, Thomas Mertens, head of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko), Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the virologist Melanie Brinkmann (Helmholtz Center for Infection Research), the physicist Viola Priesemann (Max Planck Institute ) and intensive care physician Christian Karagiannidis (Divi intensive care register) belong to the Expert Council.
Employers’ association wants the care bonus to be paid out only to those who have been vaccinated
The Care Employers’ Association (AGVP) demands that the newly planned care bonus only be paid out to vaccinated staff. Managing director Isabell Halletz said the Rheinische Post: “Anyone who does not want to be vaccinated and thus endangers those in need of care in the facilities cannot get a bonus for it.”
The workers in nursing homes, regardless of the area, have a responsibility for those in need. “You and your relatives must be able to rely on the fact that the employees live up to this responsibility,” said Halletz. “This includes getting vaccinated, for your own protection and to reduce the risk of infection.”
The SPD, Greens and FDP have stated in their coalition agreement that there should be a corona bonus for care workers. The traffic light government wants to provide one billion euros for this. The AGVP is one of several associations in the care industry. (11.12.2021)
Family doctor functionary expects the fourth corona vaccination to be necessary
The current booster vaccinations will not be the last ones needed against Corona, according to the head of the general practitioner association, Ulrich Weigeldt. “We expect that a fourth vaccination will be necessary in summer, at the latest in autumn,” he said image.
He hoped that the fourth corona vaccination could then be administered “in conjunction with the flu vaccination” “in order to make protection against corona into a routine”. It is already becoming apparent that vaccinations against the Omikron virus variant may be necessary. The manufacturers Biontech / Pfizer assume that their vaccine will continue to protect against serious illness. They want to provide a vaccine adapted to Omikron by March, subject to official approval. (11.12.2021)