Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet (CDU) rejects fines for people who let their Corona vaccination appointments expire.

"Solidarity is not enforced through punishment," he told the editorial network Germany.

Anyone who cannot keep an appointment or who has already received a vaccination dose elsewhere should create space for other people who want to be vaccinated by sending a message to the vaccination center, Laschet said.

“The vaccination rate here is still high, we are very far ahead worldwide.

Everyone can make their contribution to keep it that way. "

The Minister of Health of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Harry Glawe (CDU), spoke out against fines.

Financial penalties are not very effective at the moment, said Glawe on Sunday NDR 1 Radio MV.

The country wants to advertise more strongly for a vaccination against the corona virus.

Anyone who cannot keep a vaccination appointment should cancel it.

In view of the frequent missed corona vaccination appointments, health experts had spoken out in favor of cost sharing for truants.

"It would be right if there were a penalty for those who do not even cancel their appointment," said the SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach of "Bild am Sonntag".

"Because these missed appointments mean that we vaccinate more slowly than we could and that we have to throw away the vaccine," says Lauterbach, who works as a vaccinator himself.

Letting vaccination appointments simply expire is not only inconsiderate, "but a slap in the face of all those who are currently waiting for the scarce vaccine," said the Union's deputy parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag, Thorsten Frei (CDU), of the newspaper.

"Anyone who is too comfortable to pick up the phone or cancel an appointment with just a few clicks should have to pay for the failure costs incurred."

"Inconsiderate and Unsocial"

Overall, health experts are increasingly emphasizing the importance of a full corona vaccination for as many citizens as possible.

Similar calls come from the economy: It is "a moral duty for every citizen to be vaccinated," said the long-time foreign trade president Anton Börner of "Bild am Sonntag".

Vaccination refusals without a health reason acted recklessly and irresponsibly.

“The Delta variant can surprise us badly,” warned the Executive Vice President of the European Commission, Margrethe Vestager, in “Welt am Sonntag”.

The best way to prevent the pandemic from returning in the autumn with full force is through as many vaccinations as possible.

“Not getting vaccinated is inconsiderate and unsocial,” she said.

Chancellor candidate Laschet also supported the idea of ​​looking beyond the incidence figures in the future when assessing the corona situation because of vaccination progress. Many scientists pointed out that in view of the high vaccination rate, the decisive dimensions are the sick people and the burden on the health system, especially the intensive care units. “How this will be weighted appropriately in the future has not yet been decided. Here, too, we are in close contact in the federal-state group. ”With a view to a possible fourth wave, Laschet said:“ I don't want to speculate. We have to adjust to the growing number of infections again, but it will probably be different because so many people in Germany have now been vaccinated. "