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Jens Spahn: "We had agreed to start the vaccinations together from Sunday"
Photo: Michele Tantussi / dpa
According to a media report, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) was surprised by the unauthorized early vaccination start in the Harz district.
There, the 101-year-old resident Edith Kwoizalla was the first person in Germany to be vaccinated against the corona virus on Saturday.
Actually, vaccinations across Germany should start on Sunday.
Spahn's spokesman told “Bild am Sonntag”: “Minister Spahn wishes Edith Kwoizalla all the best and is happy with the first corona vaccinee in Germany.
This is a first, important step out of this pandemic.
However, we had agreed with all partner countries of the EU and with the 16 federal states to deliver to everyone on Saturday and to start the vaccinations together from Sunday. "
"Every day we wait is one day too many"
In addition to Edith Kwoizalla, around 40 other residents were vaccinated in the senior citizen center in Halberstadt in Saxony-Anhalt.
Ten nurses were also immunized.
The operator of the retirement home, Tobias Krüger, obviously didn't want to lose any time.
"Every day we wait is one day too many," he said.
The district office had previously asked him whether everything was prepared in the home.
The vaccinations are supposed to start officially in all federal states on Sunday, several tens of thousands of vaccine doses were delivered on Saturday.
They are distributed to vaccination centers and mobile teams by the responsible state authorities.
First, people over the age of 80, as well as nurses and hospital staff at particular risk, are to be immunized.
Health Minister Jens Spahn called for a "national show of strength" to immunize as many people as possible against the corona virus.
“This vaccine is the key to defeating this pandemic.
He is the key that we can get our lives back, «said the CDU politician in Berlin.
In the senior citizen center in Halberstadt, two thirds of the 59 residents opted for the vaccination and a quarter of the 40 employees.
Home manager Krüger was also among them.
He thinks the vaccination makes sense.
“But I also understand the concerns.” On January 15, in just under three weeks, the residents will be vaccinated for the second time.
This guarantees the full effectiveness of the vaccine from the Mainz company Biontech and its US partner Pfizer.
"Those who take part save lives"
Under the motto "Sleeves up", the Federal Government is specifically promoting participation in the vaccination campaign.
To stop the pandemic, experts estimate that around 60 to 70 percent of the German population would have to be vaccinated.
"We want to vaccinate so many people that the virus no longer has a chance, in Germany and in Europe," said Spahn.
Every vaccination more means fewer infections and fewer deaths.
"Whoever participates saves lives."
1.3 million vaccine doses are to be delivered by the end of the year.
At the end of March it should be over ten million.
And in the middle of next year Spahn wants to be able to make an offer to everyone who wants to be vaccinated.
The Minister of Health also prepared the population for the fact that, given the size of the campaign, things may not go right away.
"It will jerk at one point or another, that's completely normal."
Spahn called on the younger generation to show solidarity with the old and the weak, who now need the vaccine most urgently.
And he gave hope that the pandemic can be overcome in the course of next year: "Autumn and winter and also Christmas of the coming year should no longer be characterized by this pandemic."
"Far too little vaccine"
The German Association of Cities, however, dampened expectations.
"A start has been made, but the ghost with the dangerous corona virus is not over yet," said City Council President Burkhard Jung (SPD) to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
The infection situation is currently still worrying and the time for mass vaccinations has not yet come.
"There is initially far too little vaccine for that," said Jung, who is also mayor of Leipzig.
The first corona infection in Germany became known on January 27, 2020.
Since then, more than 1.6 million infections have been registered.
According to the Robert Koch Institute, 29,422 infected people in Germany had died by Saturday.
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