Status: 08.01.2023 1:33 p.m
The controversial facility-related vaccination requirement expired at the end of 2022. According to a report, violations usually had no consequences: sanctions were imposed in around 8,250 cases of almost 270,000 violations.
According to a newspaper report, only a small number of sanctions have been imposed to enforce compulsory vaccinations for staff in health and care facilities in Germany. The almost 270,000 violations of the law in force from March to the end of December 2022 are offset by around 8,250 fines or bans on activities, of which 6,975 are fines. This was the result of a survey by “Welt am Sonntag” in all 16 state governments. According to the newspaper, five of them provided incomplete information in part.
According to this, the hospitals, care facilities and medical practices reported 268,889 employees to the health authorities who could not show valid proof of vaccination or recovery. Most violations were registered in Bavaria with 62,184 (as of early December), followed by Saxony with 45,257 (as of late October).
Well used discretion
Seven countries stated that they had not initiated a single fine procedure. Here, the health authorities apparently used the discretionary powers granted by the legislature and imposed no sanctions against the background of poor staffing in hospitals and nursing homes.
Since March 2022, all people who work for nursing services, in clinics or practices have had to provide proof of a full corona vaccination. Otherwise, there is a risk of activity bans or fines. The facility-related vaccination requirement expired at the end of the year. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 5.8 million people work in the health sector in Germany.
SPD politician Baehrens defends law
The health policy spokeswoman for the SPD in the Bundestag, Heike Baehrens, defended the law. “The facility-related vaccination requirement was an appropriate and important measure to protect the most vulnerable in our society,” she told the “Welt am Sonntag”. Andrew Ullmann, the health policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, criticized the poor implementation. “With all due respect for resource bottlenecks and staff shortages, the countries should look for clues and analyze why the applicable law was so sparsely enforced,” he told the newspaper.
The health policy spokesman for the Union faction, Tino Sorge, criticized: “The new numbers are revealing. They show: In large parts of Germany, the institution-related vaccination requirement was in fact never in force.” The different handling of the law in the federal states is unfair, especially from the perspective of those employees who were actually prohibited from working.
Patient advocates: “Seven months of farce”
The German Foundation for Patient Protection sees its criticism of the corona vaccination requirement in the healthcare system as confirmed. “Instead of this seven-month-long farce, a nationwide, daily test regime would have been the way to live with Corona in the care of the elderly and sick,” said Eugen Brysch, CEO of the Catholic News Agency. From the beginning it was clear that the expectations of the advocates of compulsory vaccination could not be met, explained Brysch. “Because even vaccinated people pass on the virus. For the old, sick and people in need of care, the risk of infection, suffering and death remains.” Many federal states and health authorities have recognized the ineffectiveness of this law. Deadlines have been extended several times in order to delay sanctions as long as possible or not to enforce them at all.