The corona pandemic was never just about keeping the virus small.

Of course, in the end all questions revolved around how to avoid infection.

And with it often enough illness, suffering and death.

But there was always a second level, detached from any pragmatics.

Almost always it was about responsibility.

Who is most urgently to be protected from the dangers of the virus?

Who can make this protection possible?

And above all: at what price can you ask for it?

For a long time there was justified hope that the vaccination campaign would make the crisis easier.

That when it comes to Corona only sober crisis management is carried out and the social balance does not have to be negotiated over and over again.

In a few weeks summer will be running out, but there is not much of a lightness to be felt these days.

The hope that this crisis will get easier over time has not been fulfilled.

It remains a burden.

Huge group of children who cannot decide for themselves

The country is heading into the autumn under different framework conditions than last year. Several vaccines are now available that provide the greatest possible protection against infection and disease. And every adult who wants to be protected from the consequences of the virus in this way should already have had the chance. The federal government was just able to proudly announce that more than every second person in the country is now completely vaccinated against Corona. But because the willingness to vaccinate has so far fallen far below expectations - experts from the Robert Koch Institute consider a quota of at least 85 percent to be necessary - the further handling of the pandemic remains delicate.

There is a reason why vaccination is an individual medical decision, but ultimately not a private matter. Because the decision has social consequences - whether you like it or not. The more people who can be immunized against Corona, the greater the protection for those who cannot be vaccinated. This does not only apply to patients with certain pre-existing conditions for whom vaccination would be too risky. It mainly affects children under the age of twelve for whom no vaccine has been approved.

Regardless of the contentious question of whether vaccinations can generally be recommended for children, the following applies: At the moment you do not even have the chance to be immunized.

According to official information, there are almost eight million children in Germany who are ten years old or younger.

The group of those who are affected by the individual vaccination decisions of adults is therefore not exactly small.

It is huge.

And it gets even trickier.

There is currently no clarity among scientists about how long the vaccination protection lasts.

This is especially a problem for those who have so far suffered the most from the consequences of an infection.

Seniors and those in need of care were given the injection first for good reasons in times of scarcity.

Nobody knows whether the protection of these population groups will soon wane.

Nevertheless, there is still no roadmap on how booster vaccinations should be organized - apart from corresponding declarations of intent by politicians. After all, and this applies to all age groups, vaccination does not protect against infection under all conditions. The Robert Koch Institute has already registered more than 6,000 so-called vaccination breakthroughs, and the number will continue to increase. Even if the risk of a serious illness is likely to be significantly reduced in these cases, it is not zero. In the worst case, vaccinated people can also die as a result of infection. The more people that choose to have the syringe, the better it is for everyone.

Therefore, it is time to remind those of their social responsibility who are not currently part of the solution. In addition, decisive action is required precisely where the virus is spreading again. It is mainly travelers and young adults who are fueling the pandemic. Around every tenth case can be traced back to an infection abroad. It is therefore imperative that the government quickly tighten measures at the borders. More tests, more controls and, if necessary, more quarantines are annoying, but necessary. Incidentally, across all new infections, the focus is on people between 15 and 34 years of age.

It is up to all of us how this Corona autumn will be. Increasing vaccination readiness, more testing, and more caution could make a difference - even if things have already gotten badly moving. It is understandable that many people are tired of the pandemic, that they are exhausted from all the prohibitions and requirements. The longing for lightness is great, especially in summer. But it doesn't change anything. The virus does not yet allow a break.