Corona: Jens Spahn explains the vaccination chaos - and snubs the SPD

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For days, the SPD, its minister-presidents in the federal states, as well as chancellor candidate and finance minister Olaf Scholz, had been driving Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) in front of them.

Because the corona vaccination campaign is getting off to a slow start because there is not enough vaccine.

Because many in the country still do not know where and when to get vaccinated.

The questionnaire sent by Comrade Spahn at the beginning of last week had four pages with 24 questions, some of which were very detailed.

Now the Minister of Health has replied.

How he did it, however, is unusual.

His reaction should help to further cloud the mood in the grand coalition.

On six pages that are available to WELT, Jens Spahn has explained himself, made it clear, and rejected criticism.

But not towards the SPD.

But in a letter to all members of the Bundestag.

The message behind it is clear: I will not allow the comrades to show me publicly and continue to put me under pressure.

If I explain myself, it will be to Parliament as a whole.

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But the Federal Minister of Health will do that anyway as part of a government declaration before the Bundestag this Wednesday.

The reactions to the letter are correspondingly ungracious.

"It gives the impression that the minister wants to gloss over his government declaration in advance," says the health policy spokeswoman for the FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus, WELT.

Spahn's core messages are as follows: There was no alternative to an ordering process in coordination with the EU and the member states.

The vaccination rate is increased rapidly, there is enough vaccine available.

Existing deficits such as the interaction with the federal states are recognized and are being addressed.

So far, so well known.

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The explanations did not convince the opposition either.

“The decisive factor now is not the party-tactical look at the past, but rather the goal of faster contamination.

From the Federal Minister of Health I expect more convincing information for the population and more efficient coordination with the federal states, ”says Janosch Dahmen, health expert for the Greens in the Bundestag, WELT.

Spahn rejects criticism from the federal states

There has been a sharp crunch between the federal and state governments since the vaccination campaign began.

Both sides hold each other responsible for the poor vaccination start.

In order to counter allegations by the federal government, the minister-presidents of the SPD-led countries had finally drawn up said questionnaire.

And Vice Chancellor Scholz brought it to his cabinet colleague Spahn.

The counter-criticism of the federal states is now far from Spahn in his letter.

“The federal government has not only agreed to procure various vaccines.

He also takes over their full financing.

As in every pandemic, the organization of the vaccinations is the responsibility of the countries ... ”, Spahn writes.

And there is a need for optimization in the countries.

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So far, only a few federal states have made use of the offer of appointment management via the nationwide number 116117, which the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians and its ministry had developed.

The bottlenecks reported were not due to a lack of line capacities, but rather occurred when the inquiries were processed: "It is also correct that sufficient staffing must be guaranteed when forwarding calls to the call centers of the federal states," complains Spahn.

He would be happy to provide federal call centers as a "fallback solution".

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Ordering vaccines as part of an EU-wide procedure is "not just a requirement of European solidarity";

it is also in the “very own, well-understood German interest”, writes Spahn.

After all, there is free movement of people in the EU, stressed the minister.

In other words: It does not help Germany to be far ahead in vaccination when people come from neighboring countries who are predominantly not vaccinated.

And the federal government wants to avoid closing the borders again at all costs.

The associated interruption in the supply chain had brought the German economy, especially the manufacturing sector, to the brink of being able to act.

In addition, the minister sees himself on the right track with vaccinations in the country.

By 11 a.m. on Monday this week, more than 613,347 people had been vaccinated.

"It should be noted that vaccination in nursing homes by mobile vaccination teams is currently more time-consuming and slow.

As soon as it is possible to fully vaccinate in the vaccination centers using established processes, the speed and daily volume will increase further, ”promises Spahn.

According to current plans by the Federal Ministry of Health, more than four million vaccine doses from the manufacturer Biontech / Pfizer will be available by the end of January, and around 10.1 million doses by the end of March.

In addition, 1.8 million cans from Moderna would be added by the end of March.

This means that around twelve million doses of the two vaccines that have already been approved for Germany should be available in the first quarter.

"This means that we can make a vaccination offer to all those willing to vaccinate in the first priority group in the first quarter," promises the minister.

Liberals and Greens nevertheless react with renewed criticism of Spahn.

“There is little self-reflection on one's own failures, and when points of criticism arise, they affect the countries.

There is no goal-oriented strategy on how to proceed with the measures restricting fundamental rights, ”says FDP health expert Aschenberg-Dugnus.

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And Green health politician Dahmen demands: “The federal and state governments must now develop a strategy to get the existing vaccine to the people faster.

Delivery times and delivery quantities need to be better coordinated. ”Vaccination is the long-term solution, the short-term consists of better protective measures such as expanding the home office and quick tests for self-application.

Health Minister Spahn has to be prepared for a frosty reception in the Bundestag when he makes his government statement on Wednesday.

But with his letter, besides the swipe at the SPD, he achieved two things: Spahn gained time to answer the comrades' extensive questionnaire.

And his replies to these are unlikely to arouse any greater public interest after the letter to the Members and the declaration in Parliament.

The points that interest the SPD are too detailed.

And the SPD?

Does not see any reason to comment on Spahn's letter.

One still expects that the own questionnaire will be answered by the minister.

And you want more than repeating known facts.

And the SPD had actually expected to receive the required answers well before Spahn's government statement.

But when the SPD confronts the Minister of Health like an opposition party, Jens Spahn does not give the coalition partner any preferential treatment:

The CDU politician advertises his vaccination course to all parliamentarians.

"The year 2021 can be the year in which we defeat the pandemic," said the minister.

He asked the MPs, "that we should jointly promote and advocate that the number of citizens should go this way together with us and be vaccinated in large numbers".