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School under pandemic conditions: vaccination rate among teachers "in some federal states close to 90 percent"
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Hauke-Christian Dittrich / dpa
Health Minister and CDU politician Jens Spahn repeatedly made it clear that there would be no compulsory vaccination for children and adolescents. But what about the teachers in schools and daycare centers? The human geneticist Wolfram Henn, member of the ethics council, spoke of a special responsibility of this professional group to contain the virus - and brought into play a compulsory vaccination for educators.
The education union GEW rejects this idea, with which children under the age of twelve in particular should be protected, as they cannot yet be vaccinated themselves.
“Vaccination is the best way to get out of the pandemic.
But the fact remains: it is the decision of each and every one of us «, said GEW chairwoman Maike Finnern.
The debate is incomprehensible, it says with reference to the principle of equal treatment.
And: »We are against compulsory vaccination.
According to our feedback, the vaccination rate among the employees is already very high, «said Finnern.
Lauterbach also against compulsory vaccination for teachers
Teacher President Heinz-Peter Meidinger also rejected the request. "As far as we know, teachers are very willing to vaccinate, so the rate of teachers who have already been vaccinated for the first time in some federal states is close to 90 percent," he told the Augsburger Allgemeine. The main risk of infection for children and adolescents is therefore not from adults, and certainly not from teachers, but from their peers.
Henn had justified his request with a special "job-related responsibility" on the part of teachers and daycare staff.
After all, you would join a group of vulnerable people by choosing a profession.
The vaccination requirement should protect not only the children but also their families, in which there could be cancer patients who cannot be vaccinated.
Henn's point of view is that schools and day-care centers have been compulsory to vaccinate against measles since 2020.
The SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach is still critical of the proposed obligation to corona vaccinations.
»A vaccination against Covid-19 has to be the voluntary decision of every individual.
Politicians must and will keep their word here.
That also applies to teachers and educators, ”Lauterbach told the Rheinische Post.
France and Greece introduce compulsory vaccination in health care
Forced vaccination had also been discussed for other professional groups.
While in Germany the debate about compulsory vaccination for nurses has lately died down somewhat, France and Greece are now taking this step - and are introducing compulsory vaccination for health workers.
"If we do not act now, the numbers and deliveries to the clinics will increase," said President Emmanuel Macron on Monday.
From mid-September it should be checked whether the staff has been vaccinated, otherwise they will no longer be allowed to work and will no longer receive any money.
Greece also announced on Monday that employees in the health sector will have to get a mandatory vaccination from September 1 and in the care of the elderly from now on.
In the future, people will only be allowed to stay in the interior of restaurants and cultural establishments if they have been vaccinated against Covid-19, as Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced.
Italy has been demanding a vaccination from its health workers since the end of March.
apr / Reuters / dpa
