Coronavirus: The first homeless people in Hamburg are vaccinated

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After the first delivery of vaccines from the manufacturer Johnson & Johnson arrived, the first homeless people in Hamburg were vaccinated against the coronavirus. The first vaccinations were given on Monday afternoon, said a spokesman for the social welfare agency. They should now be continued quickly in the homeless shelters. "It is good that this vaccine is available to us - so we can achieve the long-awaited vaccination protection with just one vaccination dose and achieve important protection for a very mobile target group," said Social Senator Melanie Leonhard (SPD).

Previously, all residents of the homeless shelters of the winter emergency program had been tested for the corona virus after 53 cases had been detected since the beginning of April.

The series tests on several hundred residents have now produced 15 more positive cases that were not previously recognizable in connection with the infections, said the spokesman for the authorities.

Quarantine was ordered for them.

All homeless people who have been shown to have tested negative are now to be housed together at two locations and immediately vaccinated by mobile vaccination teams.

The six locations of the winter emergency program will be in operation for two months longer.

The social welfare authority can reach around 1,000 homeless people through the winter emergency program.

Biontech is considered reliable

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The health expert of the SPD in the Hamburg citizenship has meanwhile criticized low and unreliable vaccine deliveries, in particular from the manufacturers Moderna and Astrazeneca.

Canceled or delayed deliveries would have a direct impact on the city's vaccination campaign, said Claudia Loss.

A small written request to the red-green Senate had shown that only Biontech had succeeded in continuously increasing the amount of vaccine supplied and in delivering it as reliably as possible.

No delivery from AstraZeneca

"The vaccinations are now picking up speed - but the figures from the health authorities make it clear what challenges the vaccination organization is facing," said Loss. The reliability only shown by Biontech is a value in itself, because it has a direct effect on the allocation of vaccination appointments. "The delivery behavior of Moderna and Astrazeneca makes reliable planning impossible for the health authorities." The result is short-term appointments and waiting times. The Senate response lists a large number of announcements of delays or reductions from vaccine manufacturers. For this week 42,500 vaccine doses were announced: 29,250 from Biontech, 13,200 from Moderna and none from AstraZeneca.

Only on Monday did the EU Commission initiate proceedings against AstraZeneca for shortened vaccine deliveries.

In the first quarter of the year, instead of the promised 120 million vaccine doses, only 30 million were delivered to the 27 EU countries.

According to the latest information, 70 million cans are expected for the second quarter.

Originally, 180 million had been agreed.

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In view of the back and forth in “delivery announcements and delivery realities”, appointments could still only be given on sight, said Loss.

"With such clear differences and deficiencies in delivery behavior, the question arises what Jens Spahn did in his role as Federal Minister of Health last autumn and winter to support manufacturers in the production and logistics process." An early vaccination coordinator would have important preparatory work can afford.

Loss placed hope in the expected start of deliveries of the vaccine from Johnson and Johnson, which only needs to be injected once and is therefore particularly suitable for vulnerable groups, which is expected shortly after approval by the EU Medicines Agency.

As a result, "the pace will certainly pick up again."

Tschentscher reacts to vaccination peaks

Almost 60 percent of Hamburgers in the over 60 age group have already received their first vaccination, and almost 20 percent have already received the second dose.

A total of around 500,000 vaccinations were carried out - with a population of 1.8 million people in the Hanseatic city, of whom children and adolescents are not even eligible to vaccinate, that is already a considerable number.

And so the question arises for Hamburg, how to deal with the daily growing group of the vaccinated and also the convalescent, which basic rights should be given to these people again.

Hamburg's mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) made it clear on Monday evening after the vaccination summit that this question can only be approached in an “overall view”.

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He sees it as unproblematic if sufficiently vaccinated people are put on an equal footing with those who have to show a negative corona test for certain projects in public, e.g. for visiting the hairdresser or in other federal states for shopping or tourism activities and traveling. It becomes more difficult with a view to the curfews or the contact restrictions, because here it should still be possible to monitor compliance with the rules to protect the unvaccinated. The same applies to wearing a mask. Tschentscher: “Of course, restrictions on fundamental rights must be lifted as soon as possible. But the overall concept must remain effective and enforceable. "

This overall view also includes gaining knowledge about whether virus mutations undermine the existing vaccination protection. The previous statement by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is that there is only a very low risk for people who have been completely vaccinated to become infected or to pass on the virus. “But the accumulation of small risks can also constitute a major risk,” says Tschentscher. That must also be prevented, "because the intensive care units are full".

The federal government is now working out an ordinance which the Bundestag and Bundesrat would then have to approve. It could be that this procedure will be completed at the end of May or the beginning of June and then come to a situation in which every person entitled to vaccination can be offered a vaccination. If there is foreseeable sufficient vaccine available to supply the next members of the priority groups, Tschentscher would also be for a complete approval of the vaccination dates. Company doctors would then also play a major role. Tschentscher expects an increase in vaccine deliveries for Hamburg, also compared to some other federal states, which had previously been given greater consideration due to their borderline location.

The Hamburg CDU called on the Senate to expand vaccination options. “It is regrettable that Hamburg is still not implementing options to accelerate vaccination, be it additional vaccination centers, mobile teams with the support of the Bundeswehr or a drive vaccination at the exhibition halls. The lifting of the vaccination priority in June, as soon as enough vaccine is available, will significantly increase the demand, and therefore the appropriate vaccination capacities must be created now, "said the parliamentary group leader in the citizenry, Dennis Thering.

As the first members of the so-called prioritization group 3, the employees of the secondary schools and from the youth welfare sector were called on to corona vaccination on Monday in Hamburg.

The health authority announced on Monday.

So far, only teachers and employees at primary schools could be vaccinated against corona.

Several thousand appointments are still available for this week, it said.

Depending on the delivery situation and vaccine availability, further dates would be released on an ongoing basis.

Interested parties can book them by phone at 116 117 or online at www.impfterminservice.de.

At the appointment at the vaccination center, a certificate from the employer must then be presented.