Icon: enlarge
The vaccine arrives: Employees from various logistics companies accept a delivery in the central warehouse in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Photo: Michele Tantussi / dpa
One day before the start of the corona vaccinations in Germany, the first vaccine doses arrived in individual federal states on Saturday.
For example, 9750 cans were initially delivered to the most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia and taken to a secret central warehouse.
"This is an important moment of confidence," said Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU).
The federal government has tens of thousands of Biontech cans delivered to 27 locations this Saturday.
From there, they will be distributed to up to 442 vaccination centers and mobile teams, who will then administer the first vaccinations on Sunday.
The vaccine was developed in record time and is considered a key component in the fight against the pandemic, which has kept the world in suspense for almost a year.
In the EU, however, the preparation is only delivered a few weeks later than in Great Britain and the USA because the authorities needed more time in the approval process.
Vaccine reaches all EU countries at the same time
The vaccine is the "decisive key to defeating the pandemic," said Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) on Saturday.
Around 30,000 people have already died in Europe.
"We want to end that and we will end that."
"The vaccinations will help to gradually return to our normal life," said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) in a video distributed on Saturday.
The vaccine will be available in all 27 EU countries at the same time.
In Thuringia, police accompanied a vaccine delivery to a storage location that was initially not to be named.
In Bavaria, programs were destined for Erlangen and Munich, from where they were to be distributed.
Other federal states also prepared to deliver the vaccine.
Access to the vaccine is regulated differently
In the first few days, 1.3 million people across Germany are to receive their first vaccination - according to Spahns, vaccine manufacturer Biontech wants to deliver that many doses this year.
Spahn recently announced 11 to 12 million cans for the period up to the end of March.
Since the preparation has to be administered twice, this amount would be sufficient for approximately 5.5 to 6 million people.
Initially, people over the age of 80 as well as residents and staff in nursing homes should be given a chance, as well as health workers with a very high risk of infection, for example in intensive care units and emergency rooms.
The vaccination ordinance regulates the sequence and further details.
In North Rhine-Westphalia all old people's homes could be supplied with a vaccine by the beginning of March, said State Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU).
How people actually get the vaccine is regulated differently.
Some state governments write to their citizens directly, while in others it is still unclear how they will potentially notify people about vaccination options.
Country-specific websites and apps provide information.
There is also the nationwide uniform information hotline 116117.
Survey: almost a fifth do not want to be vaccinated
By the summer, all citizens in Germany should be offered a vaccination, Spahn has announced.
The prerequisite for this is that further preparations receive approval.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) wants to decide on the funds from US manufacturer Moderna by January 6th.
According to the Ministry of Health, a total of 136.3 million doses are safe for Biontech and Moderna vaccines, almost all of which could be delivered by the end of 2021.
With two required doses each, 68.2 million of the 83 million inhabitants in Germany could be vaccinated.
FDP boss Christian Lindner called for an "acceptance and information campaign" for the corona vaccination.
In this way, people could decide on the basis of scientific information whether they should be vaccinated.
He himself will be protected with the active ingredient as soon as it is his turn.
"We are not sufficiently prepared for the vaccination," said Lindner.
There is still a lot to be done to ensure that enough doses are available in Germany.
Citizens should soon be able to get injections from doctors in private practice too.
According to previous statements, this should only be possible in a few months.
According to studies to date, the Biontech vaccine is said to be 95 percent effective.
Mild side effects have been reported, including tiredness and headache.
According to the findings of a study on the Biontech preparation published in the New England Journal of Medicine, chills, diarrhea or muscle and limb pain can also occur, and in some cases fever.
Experts consider some side effects to be unpleasant, but see no cause for greater concern.
Icon: The mirror
nis / dpa / rtr