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Mainz (dpa / lrs) - Due to the delivery bottlenecks of the corona vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer, only second syringes will be used in the vaccination centers in Rhineland-Palatinate in the next three weeks.
The first vaccinations would have to be suspended for so long, said Health Minister Sabine Bätzing-Lichtenthäler on Wednesday in Mainz.
However, people over 80 and the other members of the group with the highest risk of infection should still register for vaccination appointments.
The website for making appointments is stable and the call center can be easily reached in the off-peak times and on weekends, said State Secretary for Health and State Vaccination Coordinator, Alexander Wilhelm (both SPD).
The Federal Ministry of Health has not yet given any specific information on the delivery of the vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer after February 15 and there is still no specific delivery date for the vaccine from the US manufacturer Moderna, criticized Bätzing-Lichtenthäler.
That is "increasingly annoying" because it makes planning more difficult.
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If everything is delivered as promised after February 16, the goal is still to be met to offer all Rhineland-Palatinate people a vaccination appointment until after the summer vacation.
According to the Federal Ministry of Health, significantly larger quantities of the vaccine can be expected by the second quarter at the latest.
Together with the general practitioner association, a vaccination strategy for bedridden and immobile people over 80 years of age is currently being developed, said Wilhelm.
Research has now shown that the vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer is transportable in special boxes and can be injected at home.
However, this could not start before mid / late February.
Bätzing-Lichtenthäler announced that there should be forms for an administrative procedure in Rhineland-Palatinate by the end of the week for people with rare previous illnesses who do not find themselves in any of the priorities set by the federal government for corona vaccination.
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The federal government decides whether teachers and educators - according to the federal guidelines in the third priority group - can be vaccinated earlier.
This is conceivable if the third Astrazeneca vaccine is not approved for all age groups on Friday.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210127-99-192274 / 2