When the vaccination sequence is released from Monday, the doctors expect a large rush in the practices and call on those willing to be vaccinated to be patient.

The chief executive of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Andreas Gassen, told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung on Saturday that he was expecting a "rush to the practices".

Gassen appealed to the people: “Please be patient and do not press the doctors and their teams, the medical assistants.

Everyone will be vaccinated - and as soon as possible.

But not all at once! "

From Monday onwards, anyone aged 16 and over in Germany can seek an appointment in a doctor's practice.

The fixed sequence had been introduced since the beginning of the corona vaccinations in order to ensure priority for people at particular risk in view of the still scarce vaccine.

This included people aged 80 and over in three groups, then 70 and 60, as well as with chronic diseases and in certain important professions.

Some federal states are sticking to prioritization in the vaccination center

Many people had the wrong impression that they could get vaccinated immediately. That is by no means possible. Although the quantities are increasing continuously, vaccines are still too scarce. "At this point in time, it is therefore counterproductive if the Federal Ministry of Health withholds more than a million doses of BioNTech, supposedly for second vaccinations," criticized Gassen. In addition, politicians have given the impression that “children and young people could also be offered the possibility of vaccination from next Monday, although the Standing Vaccination Commission does not give a general vaccination recommendation,” he criticized.

Dirk Heinrich, federal chairman of the Virchowbund as an association of resident doctors, made a similar statement. There is still too little vaccine in the practices. "Therefore we have to ask our patients for patience," Heinrich told the newspaper. After all, it is now only a matter of weeks, not months, until all those willing to vaccinate get an offer. Heinrich suggested that, at least in vaccination centers, the prioritization should be maintained where not enough people in the priority group three had been vaccinated.

The Schleswig-Holstein Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KVSH) also warns against expectations that are too high for faster corona vaccinations after the prioritization has been lifted. "The lifting of the vaccination prioritization makes sense in itself," said KVSH chairwoman Monika Schliffke on Friday. “However, there is still not enough vaccine to cover the need for vaccination appointments in the practices.” Therefore, those wishing to be vaccinated should not necessarily call the practices immediately on Monday. In the vaccination centers in Schleswig-Holstein, unlike contract doctors, the prioritization specifications are still implemented.

Some federal states will continue to give priority to risk groups in their vaccination centers.

In Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg and Bavaria, the prioritization is to remain there for the time being.

In Bremen, the vaccination centers are initially continuing to work through the priority lists.

In Saarland, people from the previous priority groups should still be given priority when making appointments.

In the other countries, the previous vaccination sequence ends in the vaccination centers.

In medical practices, however, there is no prioritization.

According to the current status, at least 45 percent of Germans have not been vaccinated against the corona virus at least once.

The figures do not yet include the information from Friday.

You can find more numbers on the vaccination dashboard.