Coronavirus in the Munich district – queuing until the doctor comes – Munich district

The phone in Klaus Strasbourg’s family doctor’s practice in Unterhaching is no longer silent, and the inbox is literally overflowing. “People want to know how they can be boosted the fastest,” says Strasbourg. And then there is also the fact that more and more people want to get their first vaccination, says the doctor and CSU council from Ottobrunn. The current effort in his practice is “enormous”. That is why he and his colleagues are considering reducing accessibility, especially by phone. “So that employees can get back to work.”

Especially the booster vaccinations against the coronavirus have created a new dynamic in the practices in the district. But also the political and social pressure on the unvaccinated brings more work to the resident doctors and their employees. However, it is a pressure that not all medical professionals approve of. Strasbourg’s colleague Gregor Christoforis, who also runs a practice in Unterhaching as an internist, believes that politics is fueling uncertainty. In his practice, he himself strictly adheres to the recommendation of the Standing Vaccination Commission, initially only to boost people who are older than 70 years or belong to a particularly vulnerable group. “The Stiko does a great job. The experts sit there and they do their job,” says Christoforis. He therefore does not understand when politicians – such as the incumbent Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) – call for a deviation from the advice of the experts and for the third vaccination to be offered across the board in all age groups.

The general practitioner from Oberhachingen and former supply doctor for the district Oliver Abbushi speaks of a dynamic development in vaccinations – especially in boosting. “We can see that the immunizations are increasing significantly, but there are also more primary vaccinations, of which there were hardly any a month ago.” Unlike his colleague Christoforis, Abbushi does not boost strictly according to Stiko’s recommendations. “We want to address an urgent need, so honestly we don’t make a big fuss about boosting,” he says. From next week on, a vaccination mornings will be introduced in his practice on Tuesdays, after which 200 immunizations per week will be possible. However, Abbushi is annoyed that Germany is not yet further on the subject of the third vaccination. “This is now again a quick action. But it could have been planned better from September.”

Klaus Straßburg is also thinking with his colleagues from the practice about changing the structures within the practice. So far, 60 to 70 immunizations have been carried out in his practice on a weekly vaccination day – mainly for people older than 60, as well as for people from the health sector, as the doctor says. However, more people would opt for the first immunization again. “Almost everyone knows a case that went badly,” says Strasbourg. The family doctor is sure that this increases the willingness to vaccinate as well as the pressure on people who have not yet been immunized. A certain pressure is also necessary. But it shouldn’t be at the expense of his employees who work “at the border”. The Ottobrunn doctor is convinced that the vaccine itself will not fail. “So far, we have always received the amount that we have ordered through the pharmacies.”

Friedrich Kiener, general practitioner in Unterschleißheim, sees the vaccination by the family doctors still quite relaxed. “It definitely works for us,” he says. Especially since the remuneration per vaccination has now been increased: instead of the previous 20 euros, there will be 28 euros from this Tuesday on. Kiener therefore expects that more doctors will vaccinate again. The state would definitely be much cheaper than in vaccination centers.

Of course, this is additional work in the normal office hours. In his practice, around 30 to 35 vaccinations could be given per day. “But we also offer pure vaccination days, then we can manage about 100,” says Kiener. Even those willing to vaccinate who do not belong to his patient base could contact him: “It can only be that you have to wait a little longer for an appointment.” Currently, one should expect mid-December.

Meanwhile, the vaccination bus has started its tour through the district. At the first station, in front of the multi-purpose hall at Haderner Winkel in Neuried, a long line formed on Monday morning. It was literally “all hell going on”, described an employee of the municipal administration of the situation. The first people willing to be vaccinated had already arrived at 7 a.m. Some of them even traveled as far as from Rosenheim. “We wanted to visit Munich today and got the appointment from the Internet,” said an older woman who did not want to give her name. “It’s more difficult in Rosenheim.” Like most respondents, the woman and her husband had come to get a booster vaccination.

Open detailed view

But time and patience were also required in Neuried. The community had sent six employees to the vaccination station to support the county team. “Without us this wouldn’t work at all,” said a town hall employee. Nevertheless – and because at times only a single doctor was present – there were hours of waiting in front of the only booth that was set up in the hall. More than a hundred people willing to be vaccinated were waiting there at the same time. Some lost their patience. Although the staff of the Malteser Relief Service assured them that no one would be sent away, that there was enough vaccine for everyone waiting, some left without having achieved anything. Others persevered – even if only partially voluntarily. “We’re only doing this because we have almost nothing left,” said a young woman who was in line with her mother. “You are practically forced.”

On this Tuesday the vaccination bus will come to Planegg. From 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. he is on St. Elisabeth’s church square. A registration is not required. All you have to do is bring your vaccination certificate or the vaccination app on your mobile phone as well as your identity card, possibly also a list of medications or a current test result that shows that you had a corona disease more than six months ago. Children between the ages of 12 and 15 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. More information at www.landkreis-muenchen.de/jetztimpfen.