Anger wave against Spahn’s announced limitation of BioNTech deliveries!
Head of statutory health insurance physicians Andreas Gassen (59) sharply criticized the health minister for BILD, who wanted to limit BioNTech deliveries to practices – contrary to the booster campaign!
Gassen to BILD: “It is stunned that the executive federal government is calling for a national effort for a vaccination and booster campaign for everyone with great fanfare and restricting the delivery of Biontech vaccines to the practices to 30 doses per week on the following day.”
Gassen continues: “The information that there are enough Moderna vaccines only helps to a limited extent, as this vaccine is not considered for those under 30, is significantly more sensitive to transport and, on the other hand, naturally triggers a considerable need for advice.”
Millions of people initially received AstraZeneca, then cross-vaccinated with BioNTech to get Moderna now. Gassen-clear text: “That can’t be meant seriously.” The colleagues are “back in the rain” and millions of people are “now of course unsettled”.
In a letter to the federal states, the Federal Ministry of Health emphasized that enough vaccine would also be available for booster vaccinations by the end of the year. In addition to the preparation from Biontech / Pfizer, that from Moderna should be used more and more. Otherwise, stored Moderna cans threatened to expire from the middle of the first quarter of 2022, but this must be avoided.
“We don’t deliver, Mr. Spahn”
► For the vaccination plans, Spahn also received frontal criticism from southern Germany on Saturday: The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Bavaria (KVB) accuses Spahn of vaccination campaign sabotage.
According to information from BILD am Sonntag, the representative assembly of the KVB unanimously passed a “resolution against renewed sabotage of the corona vaccination campaign” on Saturday.
It says: “The serious wrong decision of the BMG under the executive management of Federal Health Minister Spahn from November 30th, 21st, to allocate only 30 doses of BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine per week per branch per week, has to be revised immediately, until November 22nd, 21st.”
And further: It cannot be that the residual trust, especially among people who are vaccinated, is now being destroyed in the booster campaign by such amateurism. “This is where the country, the people and our practices and health are seriously harmed.”
► The Thuringian General Practitioners Association has criticized the vaccination plans of the Federal Ministry of Health. “Our engagement in the pandemic is trampled underfoot!” Said the chairman of the Thuringian family doctors’ association, Ulf Zitterbart, on Saturday. “We don’t deliver, Mr. Spahn”.
Criticism from the Greens, CSU and SPD
There is also headwind from politics!
► Bavaria’s Minister of Health Klaus Holetschek (57, CSU) protests against a limit on Biontech deliveries announced by the Federal Ministry of Health: Holetschek, who is also chairman of the state health ministers’ conference, now wants to put this on the agenda of the deliberations planned for Monday. “That has to be discussed and resolved.”
For Biontech, therefore, “maximum order quantities” should be defined, as it says in the letter. For the time being, practices should be able to order a maximum of 30 doses per week, vaccination centers and mobile vaccination teams 1020 doses. It is emphasized: “Orders for Moderna vaccine are not subject to a maximum limit and fully supplied.”
► Also SPD health politician Karl Lauterbach (58) attacked Spahn: The decision to use the vaccine from Moderna in the campaign for the booster vaccinations, because the expiry date in the camps is about to expire, was not correct, he said on “Deutschlandfunk”. In view of the rapidly increasing number of infections, the Biontech vaccine should not be limited. “We cannot afford that at the moment.” Especially since many people in Germany would particularly trust the Biontech vaccine. “We really have to work with all our strength now,” said Lauterbach. It has been known for some time that the expiration date of the Moderna vaccine doses is close. They can also be made available to other countries.
► Headwind also comes from Green health expert Janosch Dahmen (40): “We shouldn’t do that! We don’t need anything but a handbrake when vaccinating, ”tweeted Dahmen. The Biontech vaccine is particularly well tolerated by young people. In addition, the choice between different vaccines also plays a role when deciding on the important first vaccination.
► Vice-FDP parliamentary group Michael Theurer (54) agrees with the criticism of his Ampel colleagues: “The health ministers’ conference (GMK) of the federal states must stop Mr. Spahn’s wrong track on Monday,” he urged BILD. “Even more confusion and uncertainty” is “the last thing the country can use in this extremely difficult situation.”
The two vaccines, Biontech and Moderna, are considered to be equivalent, the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) also sees it that way.
In their current recommendation, however, it says: “If possible, the mRNA vaccine that was used for the basic immunization should be used for the booster.” If this is not available, “the other mRNA vaccine can also be used” .
Biontech is by far the most frequently used vaccine in Germany to date. The medical profession is therefore now expecting a significantly increased need for advice in the practices.