Medical President Klaus Reinhardt has criticized Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn's call for Corona booster vaccinations for everyone.
"So far, there is no sufficient scientific evidence for the need for booster vaccinations for people of all ages," Reinhardt told the newspapers of the editorial network in Germany.
In older people, on the other hand, the booster vaccination can significantly reduce the risk of infection, as the immune response is often weaker in older people and vaccination breakthroughs can therefore occur.
"That is why the Standing Vaccination Commission recommends a Covid-19 booster vaccination for all people over the age of 70," said the President of the German Medical Association.
Reinhardt accused the politicians of a lack of education and information policy.
"It would now actually be the task of the Federal Center for Health Education to inform about the booster vaccination for older people and also to clear up the false information in the social networks," he said.
"This fake news is largely responsible for the fact that we have a pandemic of the unvaccinated today."
Family doctors upset
The family doctors were also critical.
"We are annoyed that Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn is stoking expectations that booster vaccinations are possible for everyone," said the federal board member of the General Practitioners Association, Armin Beck, the RND.
"The general practitioners follow the recommendation of the Standing Vaccination Commission, which currently recommends third vaccinations only for people over 70 and a few other groups."
Currently, the practices could cope with these booster vaccinations, said Beck.
Due to Spahn's statements, however, the need for clarification and discussion in the practices is now greater.
If the recommendation were expanded by the STIKO, general practitioners would also vaccinate these groups of people, he announced.