Status: 04.10.2021 5:26 p.m.
Another debate about compulsory corona vaccination for certain occupational groups is counterproductive, believes the German Hospital Association. It requires a clear positioning of the federal government – with the help of the ethics council.
The vaccination campaign against the coronavirus is progressing, but several million people in Germany are still unvaccinated. Against this background, the German Hospital Society demands that the Ethics Council should examine whether certain professional groups are required to be vaccinated. The federal government should give a corresponding order.
“The debate about compulsory vaccination, which has been simmering for weeks, is counterproductive and will rather reduce the willingness to vaccinate both in the affected professional groups and in the general population,” said DKG chairman Gerald Gaß in a press release. “It is therefore imperative that the Ethics Council give a comprehensive opinion on the subject. In the current situation, both employers and employees are left alone with this question.”
No general vaccination requirement
The ethics council had already dealt with compulsory measles vaccination in 2019. At that time he spoke out against compulsory vaccination for children in daycare centers and schools, but for compulsory vaccination for special professional groups such as teachers and educators. A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Health emphasized that there would be no general corona vaccination requirement. But it makes sense for certain professional groups.
Hospitals full again
For weeks, the hospitals have been filled with numerous serious corona cases again. Many clinics report constant exposure. Unvaccinated people in particular are affected by the severe course of the disease. According to data from the Robert Koch Institute from the past four weeks, a full vaccination protects 18 to 59 year olds 93 percent from having to be treated in intensive care.
At the moment 64.7 percent of the population in Germany are fully vaccinated. 68.2 percent of the population received at least one dose of vaccine. Among the 12 to 17 year olds, 35 percent are fully vaccinated, 42.1 percent at least once.