Vaccination start at family doctors: "It's all gone in one day"

display

Heribert Heimer is smiling all over the face.

As far as you can tell by the movement under the face mask and around the eyes.

“Wonderful, I'm relieved,” says the 62-year-old after the spades.

The chronically ill patient is one of the first to receive a corona vaccination in a family doctor's practice on Tuesday.

From general practitioner Oliver Funken in Rheinbach near Bonn.

"I'm very happy that I didn't have to go to a vaccination center, because my doctor has known my medical history for 20 years."

With the involvement of general practitioners, the vaccination campaign, which has been running for a good three months, should be more dynamic after setbacks and delays.

This week, around 35,000 general practitioners across Germany want to get started, and Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) expects up to 100,000 participating medical practices by the end of April.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, Biontech / Pfizer is to be administered first, which is expected in the practice on Tuesday or - predominantly - on Wednesday, as the general practitioner association describes.

General practitioner Funken criticizes the small quantities that are initially only a drop in the ocean.

With 940,000 vaccination doses nationwide delivered in the first week, every practice only receives 26 doses on average.

“It's all gone in one day.

We could do 50 vaccinations a day, 250 a week, ”he says.

display

“One should have had the vaccinations run through the family doctors right from the start,” says Funken, who is also chairman of the North Rhine Family Doctors Association.

“Politicians should stay out of it.

It is only supposed to deliver the vaccine, we doctors organize the rest. ”Many patients have no understanding for the vaccine chaos that has prevailed so far.

The majority of the around 11,000 general practitioners in North Rhine-Westphalia will probably take part in the corona vaccinations, believes Monika Baaken, spokeswoman for the general practitioner association.

“Vaccination is part of our core business.” Initially, chronically ill patients were called in.

However, general practitioners should be able to use it flexibly for an efficient process.

An association survey showed that 20 to 100 vaccinations are possible per practice every day.

Manfred Haas (64) is also happy that he is now vaccinated.

“You hear that all vaccination portals collapse when you want to register.

So I was pleased that the practice called me and called me in. ”Haas, too, initially received the preparation from AstraZeneca.

Because the vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer will not arrive in Rheinbach until Wednesday, Funken explains.

Some AstraZeneca vaccine doses have been outsourced from the vaccination centers, with which he will now contest the start day.

"Every day we lose is pointless."

display

According to the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, the general starting shot will be given on Wednesday.

At the end of the month, the delivery quantities are expected to increase significantly.

In addition to the Biontech vaccine, AstraZeneca, later the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, will go to practices from April 19.

Does Funken then count with reservations?

"We are already feeling skeptical about AstraZeneca, but we don't see any obstacles at all with people over 60." The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) only recommends the AstraZeneca preparation for patients over 60 years of age, after cases of blood clots (thrombosis ) occurred in the cerebral veins.

The medical practices in North Rhine-Westphalia could order the vaccine until March 30th, explains KV Westfalen-Lippe.

The interest is great.

Funken has already ordered more for the coming weeks.

He goes through the information sheet with his patients in front of the spades and answers questions.

“When will I get my second vaccination?” You can hear.

The family doctor urges patience: “In the earliest nine weeks, we will stretch to maximum intervals.

Also, in order to give as many as possible an initial vaccination given the limited vaccination quantities.

Then we are already one step further. "