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Ventilation in the classroom: school operations should not be dependent on vaccinations (symbol image)
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Thuringia had already promised a "vaccination summer for children, adolescents and families", including an awareness campaign. Bremen planned a three-pillar concept for vaccination in vaccination centers, at doctors and in schools. Lower Saxony presented a concrete timetable of how nearly half a million schoolchildren could offer a vaccination at the beginning and at the end of the summer holidays in order to build "a stable bridge to face-to-face teaching" in the new school year, as Education Minister Hendrik Tonne emphasized. He spoke of "homework done". But they could have been in vain now.
In the last few weeks the impression has been given "as if we could do an extra campaign for children and adolescents with an additional vaccine," said Berlin's Governing Mayor Michael Müller after the vaccination summit with Chancellor Angela Merkel and the prime ministers of the federal states. But the Ministry of Health promised too much. After the meeting it is clear that - contrary to what the federal states expected - there will be no "additional" vaccine for the group of 12 to 17 year olds. There is talk of a “misunderstanding”, the point “got across”. Nor should vaccines for younger people be "diverted", as Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder explained.
What does this mean for the students and the new school year?
Does the "stable bridge" to face-to-face teaching collapse before it has been built?
Lower Saxony and other states had expressly linked their plans to the delivery of additional contingents.
The vaccination campaigns in schools are thus at least called into question - and the state chiefs clearly alienated: "This is a disappointment that is everywhere on the state side," said Prime Minister Stephan Weil the NDR.
"All in all, that was not a high point in the cooperation between the federal and state governments."
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The state government will now discuss how to proceed on the basis of the new basis.
It must be clarified whether there are special campaigns - as originally planned - or whether the children and young people also have to register on the waiting list.
"We have to see how we deal with it," said Weil.
Reiner Haseloff, Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, criticized the ARD “Morgenmagazin”: “An expectation has been aroused that cannot be fulfilled.” He said he would not have any more press conferences from the federal government on this issue, one needed “clear messages «.
Some school actors, on the other hand, think it is not bad that the federal states have been slowed down with their plans:
“We understand the euphoria, because vaccination promises normality,” said Udo Beckmann, Chairman of the Association for Education and Upbringing (VBD), “but always taking the second step before taking the first step and talking about vaccination mobiles in front of schools, even before the vaccine approved for this age group, let alone recommended by the responsible vaccination committee, amounts to negligent deception. "
Safe school operation "completely independent of vaccinations"
If the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approves the Binotech / Pfizer vaccine for children from the age of twelve these days, they can apply for a vaccination appointment from June 7th, just like all other citizens. On this day, the prioritization of certain vaccination groups will be lifted nationwide. It is clear that not everyone can then be vaccinated immediately because the available vaccines are scarce. The Ministry of Health assumes that of the 5.3 million schoolchildren between the ages of 12 and 17, around 60 percent are ready to be vaccinated. That would be just under 3.2 million people.
Chancellery Minister Helge Braun confirmed on Friday that everyone should receive a vaccination offer in the summer, "we take the twelve-plus-year-olds in with us," said Braun. "In mid-September we want to be through that everyone is vaccinated", namely "including these young people". This is realistic. In several federal states, however, the summer holidays are over by the beginning of August.
Education minister Anja Karliczek, like Spahn, had campaigned before the vaccination summit that as many children and young people as possible should be immunized - and linked this with the hope of as much normality as possible in the new school year. The vaccinations should therefore best be done during the summer holidays. After the vaccination summit, it is now clear that nothing will come of it, even if the families are ready. And now politicians no longer want to establish a connection between vaccinations and classroom teaching.
"Safe school operations will continue to be completely independent of whether children are vaccinated or not," emphasized Merkel in a press conference after the vaccination summit. This applies, especially since no vaccine has been approved for primary school children anytime soon. The same is true for the question of vacation. Tests are completely sufficient. In addition, children and adolescents are doing "the very best when the overall incidence is low".
Markus Söder (CSU) also emphasized that the school was secured. In view of the falling number of cases, there is now "a huge opportunity to return to everyday school life." However, Bavaria recently changed the limit values for regular school operations. In the Free State, normal face-to-face classes should be possible again from June 21 in all regions with a seven-day incidence of up to 100. After the Whitsun holidays, from June 7th, the previous limit of 50 for face-to-face teaching will initially apply for two weeks. He announced that he would give preference to vaccination offers to high school students.
Berlin's Prime Minister Müller affirmed: "We can plan a good and safe school year," regardless of vaccinations. However, according to his statements, how normal school operations will run after the holidays - measured against pre-Corona standards - remains vague. The SPD politician referred to previous measures to protect against infection in schools, with which one had good experiences: mask requirement, hygiene concepts, regular rapid tests. Müller also spoke of alternating lessons, i.e. schooling in small groups in a kind of shift system.
That sounds more like “business as usual” than more normality, especially since Müller warned that with him in Berlin, for example, the number of cases among children and adolescents is currently significantly higher than the average for the population.
"That's why I have to be careful at this point." Merkel emphasized: "We cannot say that the pandemic is over."
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Teachers Association is disappointed
The fact that, against this background, no vaccination campaigns are being started for schoolchildren, that they cannot even be vaccinated as a priority, is disappointing from the point of view of the German Teachers' Association.
He doubts "that the resolutions presented at the vaccination summit will have any significant positive effects on school operations in the next school year," said association chief Heinz-Peter Meidinger of the "editorial network Germany" (RND).
"The general vaccination recommendation of the StiKo, which will probably not be made in the near future, will prevent many, if not the majority of parents, from taking advantage of this vaccination offer for their children," criticized the head of the teachers' association.
Obviously, the federal government does not believe in the quick success of its vaccination schedule, otherwise it would have started a comprehensive vaccination campaign.
The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) wants to decide in around a week whether it recommends a general corona vaccination for children from the age of twelve.
So far, she has been rather reserved with regard to the risk-benefit assessment.
Merkel and the prime ministers had declared their own reluctance to launch extra vaccination campaigns for younger people.
VBE boss Beckmann demanded "that political efforts should not only be geared towards vaccinating those over 12 years of age, but also to present concepts as to how the safest possible school operation can be made possible, especially in primary schools."
Beckmann said air purifiers would need to be installed in the classrooms during the summer vacation.
It is a demand that has been loosening the debate about safe schools in the pandemic for almost a year.
With material from dpa / AFP / Reuters