Corona: Karl Lauterbach – Three vaccinations required against Omikron for full protection

Corona pandemic
Lauterbach: Complete protection against Omikron only after the third vaccination

The new Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) at the handover ceremony and swearing-in ceremony in Berlin

© Hannibal Hanschke / Picture Alliance

How dangerous is the new omicron variant of the coronavirus? The new Minister of Health, Karl Lauterbach, considers a third dose of vaccine to be essential for full protection. This could have an impact on the 2G rule.

The new Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach has underlined the importance of booster vaccinations in the fight against the new Corona variant Omikron. “The vaccination is only complete if you have been vaccinated three times,” said the SPD politician on Wednesday in the ZDF’s “heute journal”. That is the new reality in order to be somewhat protected from Omikron. It is very likely that two vaccinations will already alleviate the disease, “and three vaccinations will probably protect very well against serious illness”.

With Omikron: 2G only for the third vaccination?

You have to make sure that Omikron reaches Germany as late as possible. According to Lauterbach, if the Omikron variant were to reach all of Germany, this could have an impact on who is considered fully vaccinated. “If we actually had the Omikron wave here in Germany, then 2G would be achieved when you have the third vaccination,” says Lauterbach. With two vaccinations you cannot assume that you are completely protected. 2G means that recovered and fully vaccinated people have access to facilities. “But we will cross this bridge when we have reached it,” said Lauterbach.

Booster first pillar, vaccination compulsory second pillar

The first thing to do is to prevent infection with the Omikron variant in Germany. The booster vaccinations are an optimal preparation for this. That is the first pillar in health protection “that we have in hand”. The second pillar includes a general compulsory vaccination.

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DPA

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