Status: 29.06.2021 5:39 p.m.
It was always said that all adults should be offered a vaccination offer by the end of summer. This goal can now apparently be achieved as early as July. According to the RKI, the willingness to vaccinate is still high.
The federal government expects that it will be able to deliver on its corona vaccination promise earlier than planned. The promise to be able to make a vaccination offer to all adults by the end of summer in September will already be fulfilled in the first half of summer, probably in July, reports the dpa news agency, citing government circles in Berlin. According to the report, 17 to 18 million first vaccinations with an mRNA vaccine will be offered in July.
The demand was probably more than met, it said. According to the information, the infrastructure of the corona vaccination centers should be maintained in a “slimmed-down version” beyond September 30th. It is less about the “big tankers” like exhibition halls, but about “speedboats” like the mobile vaccination teams. These would probably be needed in autumn for booster vaccinations, for example in care facilities.
More mobile vaccination teams in autumn
The health ministers of the federal states had previously announced that they would reduce the operation of the vaccination centers in the autumn. The focus should then increasingly be on mobile vaccination teams, according to a resolution of the conference of health ministers.
The Bavarian Minister of Health and Head of the Conference of Health Ministers (GMK), Klaus Holetschek, said: “We will soon find ourselves in a situation in which the majority of adults who want to be vaccinated will be fully vaccinated against Corona.”
However, the countries themselves would decide on the future infrastructure of the vaccination offer, said the GMK. If necessary, the federal states could also continue to operate individual vaccination centers. “Even if we will probably no longer need the vaccination centers in their previous structure in the future, their experience and infrastructure will continue to be of use, especially for upcoming booster vaccinations,” said Holetschek. “Starting in autumn, we will focus on mobile vaccination teams, with whom we have had very good experiences right from the start of the vaccinations.”
Vaccine supply partly exceeds demand
According to information from the Ministry of Health, the vaccination campaign is entering a new phase, reports the Reuters news agency: For the first time, supply in some regions is currently exceeding demand.
However, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) does not see any trend towards not having a second vaccination against the coronavirus. In a survey published by the RKI, 98.7 percent of those surveyed who had previously been vaccinated stated that they would “definitely” or “more likely” to be vaccinated a second time. “So there is no discernible tendency that the recommended vaccination schedule is not completed,” explained the RKI. According to the RKI, the general willingness to vaccinate is “at a high level”.
88 percent vaccinated or ready to be vaccinated
Of those surveyed, around 62.2 percent had been vaccinated at least once and 27.4 percent had been fully vaccinated. Among all the unvaccinated respondents, two thirds, at 67 percent, said they wanted to be vaccinated. Taking into account those who have already been vaccinated, this results in a proportion of around 88 percent of people who are ready to vaccinate or who have already been vaccinated.
About 84 percent of the medical staff and teachers are vaccinated at least once. Almost 64 percent of the medical staff is fully vaccinated, and 37.2 percent of the teaching and educational staff. People in the 18 to 59 age group with previous illnesses were also more likely to receive at least one vaccination (69.2 percent) than those without previous illnesses (44 percent).
More than half first vaccinated
Half a year after the start of the vaccination campaign, more than half of the people in this country have been vaccinated against the coronavirus at least once. Over a third has already received the second peak. According to data from the Robert Koch Institute, almost 44.9 million people (54 percent) have been vaccinated at least once and 29.3 million (35.8 percent) have been completely vaccinated. Most recently, 588,066 vaccine doses were administered in one day.
“First vaccinate, then enjoy your vacation”
Despite this progress and continued high vaccination readiness, there is great concern about the rapidly spreading, contagious Delta virus variant. Lower Saxony’s Minister of Health Daniela Behrens called for vaccinations before the start of the summer vacation. “The holiday season is a very good time to have the first vaccination,” said the SPD politician. The urgent appeal is: “First vaccinate, then enjoy your vacation.”
Where people go on vacation, they would have to decide for themselves, said Behrens. As in the case of Portugal, however, it could quickly happen that a virus variant warning is issued and returnees have to be quarantined. Summer is travel time across Europe. “So traveling is of course something that can exacerbate the pandemic.”