The decision of the health ministers of the federal states essentially contradicts the recommendation of the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO).

So far, this provides for vaccinating only children with previous illnesses, such as very overweight. "If the STIKO is ignored as a body, it sends a signal," says Ralf Moebus, chairman of the professional association of paediatricians in Hesse.

The health ministers decided on Monday evening that vaccination centers, general practitioners or company doctors should make appropriate offers as a matter of routine.

The vaccination centers in Hesse are due to close at the end of September.

Marie Lisa Kehler

Deputy head of the regional section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

  • Follow I follow

To completely ignore the recommendations of the experts is tantamount to dismantling the commission, says Moebus.

The general task of the committee is to check and make vaccination recommendations.

However, because the global data on corona vaccinations for children from the age of twelve is still quite manageable, the committee members, including doctors, physicians and scientists, had so far held back with a general vaccination recommendation for children.

“It is not part of the STIKO's job to speak up about politics,” says Moebus.

"This is where political decisions should take effect that are not medically justified."

Moebus has also been advising children and their parents on the subject of corona vaccination for weeks. That is a time-consuming task, as he says. Moebus always separates the actual vaccination appointments from the consultation appointments. This should give the families sufficient opportunity to deal with the topic in detail. He also wants his young patients to listen to the arguments for and against a vaccination. Instead of trying to increase the vaccination rate by including children, the doctor would have liked the politicians to have focused on improving "the really protective measures" against the spread of the coronavirus.

“The way to school should no longer have to be covered in crowded buses,” he begins with the list.

In addition, classes should no longer be taught in classrooms where proper ventilation is hardly possible.

In addition, everything must be done to reach the adults who have not yet been immunized.

It is not acceptable to carry the failures of the past few months on the back of the children.

"As long as I have to watch DIY store advertisements shortly before the news and a spot is not shown that provides information about vaccination options, we are far from finished with our ideas."

"Children have to go back to everyday life"

The Bad Homburg pediatrician Barbara Mühlfeld is afraid of the symbolism that a vaccination offer could bring with it bypassing the recommendations of the STIKO. “The STIKO was set up to have an independent body that advises politics,” she says. Just because the politicians did not like his decision, they could not simply ignore the expert committee. "That contradicts the whole system," says Mühlfeld, who advises many parents and young people on the subject of corona vaccination in everyday practice.

She points out once again that it has been possible to have children and adolescents vaccinated in the past few weeks. “We don't generally advise against it,” says Mühlfeld. But the decision as to whether their own child should be immunized or not has to be made individually by each family. For this, the risk of a severe course of the disease, which is classified as low for children, has to be weighed against possible side effects of the vaccination. Not enough is known about the latter, at least in connection with the corona vaccination in young people. Mühlfeld appeals: "Let's wait until the STIKO has evaluated the data." She fears that the pressure on parents to have their children vaccinated will increase as a result of the political initiative.

The doctor, who is also involved in the professional association of paediatricians, sharply criticizes the plans of the health ministers of the federal states. “Children have to go back to everyday life,” she demands. Regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not. It should not be that children are used to protect adults from infection. "In the end, it protects older free riders who do not want to be vaccinated."