Germany is discussing compulsory vaccination for nurses.

The number of infections is higher than ever, the virus is back in old people's and nursing homes, and headlines are making the rounds about a facility in Brandenburg where only half of the staff are vaccinated - eleven residents there died after an outbreak.

Britta Beeger

Editor in business.

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Philip Plickert

Business correspondent based in London.

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Christian Schubert

Economic correspondent for Italy and Greece.

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As the first leading politician, Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann has just spoken out in favor of compulsory vaccination for nursing staff.

The President of the German District Association, Reinhard Sager, and the Chairman of the German Association of General Practitioners, Ulrich Weigeldt, are also in favor.

Almost three quarters of Germans (74 percent) are in favor of the current ARD Germany trend.

But the federal government is hesitant.

Like many nursing representatives, she fears that many nursing staff could quit their job and that the already enormous staff shortage will be exacerbated by compulsory vaccinations.

The acting Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) put it this way: "If 50 percent of the nursing staff say, then I'm out of here, then we have a problem."

“We believe that there are not many nursing staff who cannot be reached at all,” said its president Christine Vogler of the FAZ. “But everyone who leaves is a great loss.

That's why we don't want to take the risk. "

Few suspensions in France

Is the fear justified?

A look abroad can help with the answer.

France and Italy, for example, already have compulsory vaccination for nurses, and there, too, it was discussed hotly beforehand.

So far, however, there have been no major waves of layoffs.

In France, people have now largely gotten used to mandatory vaccinations in the healthcare system.

Still controversial after President Emmanuel Macron's announcement in July, it came into effect in mid-September without any major outcry.

From then on, around 2.7 million employees had to be vaccinated against the coronavirus once, and a full vaccination has been mandatory since mid-October.

You can only be liberated if you can show a recovery or medical reasons.

The French government sees these guidelines for better protection of risk groups as a success. Health Minister Olivier Véran recently said that the number of those who refused to vaccinate is in the alcohol range. 10,000 to 15,000 employees did not meet the requirements and were on leave or suspended. Véran was convinced that a “considerable number” would be vaccinated in the end. Between 1500 and 2000, that is 0.1 percent of those affected, would have quit because of the compulsory vaccination. "Those who have decided to quit are really the exception," he said.

So far, there are actually no indications of an exodus of nurses due to the compulsory vaccination. Rather, the vaccination rate has risen steeply in recent months, including among carers in French old people's homes, for which separate figures are available: in mid-July, when Macron announced a stricter pace due to the increasing number of infections, just under 55 percent of them were fully vaccinated now more than 90 percent.

In fact, there is so far no evidence of an exodus of nurses in connection with the compulsory vaccination.

Rather, the vaccination rate has risen steeply in recent months, including among carers in French old people's homes, for which separate figures are available: in mid-July, when Macron announced a stricter pace due to the increasing number of infections, just under 55 percent of them were fully vaccinated now more than 90 percent.

But there are still regional differences.

Persistent core of vaccination opponents in Italy

In Italy, on the other hand, since the end of May a law has stipulated that all employees in health, social and care facilities must be vaccinated.

Those who refuse will be suspended from duty and lose their salary.

It is also possible to move to an area away from all patients, where, as for all workplaces in Italy, a 3-G certificate is required.