Vaccine tired debate continues: More than half of the population fully vaccinated

The vaccination campaign has recently progressed slowly, but Germany has now reached a new important mark: More than half of the people in this country have full vaccination protection against the coronavirus.

Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) announced on Wednesday in the short message service Twitter that 50.2 percent of citizens would have full protection.

In addition, 61.1 percent are vaccinated at least once.

Bremen has the edge with the fully vaccinated with 58.3 percent.

It is followed by Saarland (54 percent) and Schleswig-Holstein (52.9 percent).

In the last three places are Brandenburg (47.5 percent), Hamburg (47.1 percent) and Saxony (46.1 percent).

When it comes to first-time vaccinations, the three front runners are also in the lead: Bremen (70.1 percent), Saarland (66.9 percent), Schleswig-Holstein (65 percent).

The bottom three are Brandenburg (55.4 percent), Thuringia (55.3) and Saxony (51.8 percent).

In view of the increasing number of corona infections while the vaccination rate is falling, proposals and appeals from politics and medicine are increasing.

The focus is on the question of which groups still need to be reached or included in order to increase the vaccination rate on a voluntary basis.

"A question of intergenerational equity"

Saarland's Prime Minister Tobias Hans (CDU) rejected a general vaccination requirement, but at the same time called for more solidarity between older people and the younger generation.

He believes that different treatment of vaccinated and non-vaccinated people is possible.

“A high vaccination rate is an important prerequisite for returning to a largely normal everyday life.

Anyone who refuses to be vaccinated for no reason risks a fourth wave in autumn and winter, ”said Hans of the Rheinische Post.

“It is also a question of intergenerational equity.

Many children and adolescents have taken on significant restrictions in recent years to protect the elderly.

Now it is important to show solidarity with the young.

Every vaccinated adult protects those who cannot yet be vaccinated, ”says Hans.

If everyone has been offered a vaccination, everything must be done to ensure that those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered get back all their liberties as quickly as possible.

"After all, they have a much lower risk of infection than those who have not been vaccinated," said Hans.

Reaching migrants better - not just in German

The Federal Government's Integration Commissioner, Annette Widmann-Mauz (CDU), is calling for vaccinations that are better tailored to people with a migration history.

"What is needed is a multilingual and outreach information and vaccination offer on site," she told the Rheinische Post.

“There are good examples in the municipalities, from corona pilots who provide information on site, to information buses and loudspeaker trucks, to mobile vaccination stations.

These examples now have to catch on locally and locally. "

"Every fourth person in Germany has a history of immigration, we reach most of them through German-language media, but we need other channels for people whose knowledge of German is poor," argued Widmann-Mauz.

More presence in socially disadvantaged areas

The President of the German Medical Association, Klaus Reinhardt, called for more action in socially disadvantaged areas in view of the sluggish vaccination campaign.

"In order to reach socially weaker groups in particular, we have to be present locally in the socially hot spots," he told the Rheinische Post.

He is convinced that most of the unvaccinated are not radical opponents of vaccination.

"Many have not yet seriously dealt with the topic or they postpone this decision," said Reinhardt.

"Only consistent education helps."

The managing director of the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband, Ulrich Schneider, argued accordingly to the Funke media group and added: “In the residential areas, in the parishes, in the mosque communities, in associations and cultural clubs of migrant communities.

Anywhere where the vaccination rates are not so high. "

Also vaccinate children from the age of twelve

The German medical officers are in favor of vaccinating all children from the age of twelve.

"If the vaccines have been tested, checked and approved, I see no reason not to recommend them for vaccination, even for younger people," said the chairwoman of the Federal Association of Doctors in the Public Health Service, Ute Teichert, the newspapers of the Funke media group from Wednesday.

“That will soon move to the even younger groups.

Why shouldn't we protect these age groups from Corona? ”Teichert pointed out.

“Especially since the boys have a lot of contacts.

So it makes sense to vaccinate them. ”In Germany, the corona vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer is approved for children from the age of twelve.

The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) has so far only recommended immunization for young people with certain previous illnesses.

The authorities are currently still under control of the pandemic, but that could change quickly if the incidence increases, said the association's chairwoman.

"There is a risk that we will run into similarly high incidences as last year - even if half of the population is now fully vaccinated and the hospitalization rate is still low."