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Hamburg's specialist practices will start with corona vaccinations on Monday.

It starts with practices for dialysis patients, as the head of the Hamburg Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Walter Plassman, said on Thursday evening in the “Hamburg Journal” on NDR television.

In the next step, the oncological practices will follow before it is the turn of the patients with lung diseases.

But even people over 80 could speak to their family doctor today.

"This is a game changer," emphasized Plassmann and now considers it possible that the Germans could be vaccinated faster than expected.

Because the infection rate remains at a high level in Hamburg.

The head of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians cited the fact that the two vaccination appointments with the active ingredient from Biontech / Pfizer can now be six weeks apart as the reason for the start of vaccinations in the practices - and not three weeks as before.

When the AstraZeneca vaccine is administered, the period has increased from the current nine to twelve weeks.

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According to the social authorities, more vaccinations are possible in the short term because the second vaccination has been postponed.

In addition, less vaccine remains in the warehouse.

So far, Hamburg has kept half of all doses from Biontech so that there are no bottlenecks in the second vaccination if deliveries should fail.

"That's a tough grab on the shelf"

As the head of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians also announced, 31,000 new appointments have been released in the central vaccination center in the exhibition halls.

"That is a tough grab on the shelf," said Plassmann.

At the end of March or mid-April, enough vaccine should be available so that the doctor's practices can also vaccinate nationwide in Hamburg.

The background to the new rules are the recommendations of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko).

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the Stiko develops vaccination recommendations for Germany and “not only takes into account their benefits for the vaccinated individual, but also for the entire population”.

In addition, the independent committee of experts - whose activities are coordinated by the office in the vaccination prevention department of the RKI - decides on a scientific basis about the optimal period between the first and second vaccination.

The fourth vaccine now approved by Johnson & Johnson only needs to be vaccinated once.

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Meanwhile, before the resumption of face-to-face classes at the Hamburg schools on Monday, the around 18,000 primary school employees are now called on to take corona vaccinations.

You can now make appointments in the central vaccination center in the exhibition halls, said Martin Helfrich, spokesman for the health authority, the German press agency.

Arrange appointments online if possible

Like the daycare workers who have already been called for vaccinations, the primary school staff also need a certificate from the employer.

The social welfare authority asked for "the appointment to be made online if possible, then the telephone lines will remain free for the elderly, who mainly want to use the telephone".

In addition to the teachers, the other employees of the primary schools who come into contact with children should also be vaccinated.