According to the ideas of the federal and state governments, children and young people from the age of twelve should in principle receive a vaccination offer against the coronavirus from June 7th. Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) said after the vaccination summit with the 16 countries in Berlin on Thursday. The prerequisite for this is that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approves the BioNTech / Pfizer vaccine for younger people. A vaccination is not a prerequisite for going to school. However, critical statements from the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) about vaccinating younger people ensure discussions.
Merkel emphasized: "The vaccination of children is a very sensitive act." In making its recommendation, the Stiko will only be guided by what a vaccination means for the individual child. Stiko boss Thomas Mertens made this clear in the group. It is expected that the Stiko will only make a vaccination recommendation for younger people with previous illnesses. STIKO member Rüdiger von Kries said on Wednesday in the rbb that a general vaccination recommendation for children and adolescents was not to be expected in Germany. Nothing is currently known about possible side effects in this age group.
The EMA wants to advise on Friday about lowering the age rating of the vaccine to twelve years.
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) expects a decision in the next few days.
The Stiko will then make its recommendation on the basis of this.
The federal government plans to provide almost 6.4 million doses by August for vaccinating children and adolescents.
This emerges from a document from the Ministry of Health for the vaccination summit.
The number of 12 to 18 year olds in Germany is given as 5.3 million.
Assuming a willingness to vaccinate of 60 percent, there is an assumed need for first and second vaccinations of 3.18 million doses each.
So far, the vaccine from BioNTech / Pfizer is the only one approved in the EU only from the age of 16.
If the drug is approved for the age group, Spahn wants to offer all 12 to 18 year olds a vaccination offer by August at the latest. The required doses for June, July and August are to be made available to the countries "step by step from the total delivery quantities" for these months, according to the ministry's document. Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) made it clear that there would be no additional doses. There will be "no excess" with the vaccine.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Thursday, almost 47.4 million vaccine doses have been administered in Germany so far, including 34.3 million first and a good 13 million second vaccinations.
So far, 41.2 percent of Germans have received a first vaccination, 15.7 percent have already received the second dose and thus complete vaccination protection.
Number of cases continues to decline
Spahn said it was now a matter of vaccinating as many Germans as possible as quickly as possible. Four to six weeks ago, nobody would have expected that more than 40 percent of Germans were now vaccinated. With regard to children and adolescents, the CDU politician said that parents should be able to decide individually whether to vaccinate their children and weigh up risk factors such as previous illnesses. The Stiko recommendation is important. But he himself had already disregarded such a recommendation. Spahn emphasized that there would be no compulsory vaccination in schools and daycare centers.
The number of cases in Germany continues to decline. The RKI registered 6313 new positive tests on Thursday and 5985 fewer than a week earlier. 269 other people died who tested positive. The nationwide seven-day incidence fell further to 41.0. The day before, the value was 46.8. In total, more than 3.66 million cases have so far tested positive for the coronavirus, 87,995 of them died.