When it comes to the corona vaccine, frustration is widespread in Germany.
The vaccination campaign, which started with kettledrums and trumpets, is hardly glamorous.
Delivery problems cause headaches.
The
Corona *
vaccine in Germany is scarce
and the vaccination rates are too low.
Pharmaceutical companies are slow to deliver, and speed is required right now.
There are problems with vaccine production.
This
news ticker
on
Covid-19 vaccinations in Germany
is updated regularly.
Update from January 28th, 9:56 am
: “
We need a vaccine summit”
, demanded the Prime Minister
Malu Dreyer
(SPD) of Rhineland-Palatinate in an interview with
ZDF heute journal
.
Dreyer emphasized that the
federal government was responsible for the
procurement of vaccines
and the federal states for the distribution.
Corona vaccinations in Germany: Spahn wants vaccination summit
And Federal Health
Minister Jens Spahn
(CDU) reacts.
A
vaccination summit is to come
.
In the North German Broadcasting Corporation (NDR), Spahn proposed a separate meeting with the prime ministers of the federal states on Thursday morning.
Whether it
should be called
vaccination summit
, he leaves an open question.
In terms of content, it must be about further action against the pandemic.
Representatives of the pharmaceutical manufacturers should also attend the meeting.
Spahn repeated his suggestion on Twitter: "
We are doing a vaccination MPK, an extra Prime Minister's conference just for vaccination
."
Regarding the delivery bottlenecks for the corona vaccines, Spahn is dampening hopes for a quick solution and relies on communication and cooperation between the federal and state governments.
“Because with the
shortage of the vaccine,
we are going
through at least ten tough weeks
.
We should
spend
that by
working together on the matter
.
Citizens can expect that from us in these difficult times. "
Because with the shortage of the vaccine we are going through at least ten hard weeks.
We should spend that by working together on the matter.
Citizens can expect that from us in these difficult times.
(5/5)
- Jens Spahn (@jensspahn) January 28, 2021
Corona vaccinations: Biontech vaccine effective against the most important mutations
Update from January 28, 9.48
a.m.:
The vaccine from
Biontech
is probably effective against the corona mutations from Great Britain and South Africa *.
The Mainz company announced this on Thursday morning.
In-vitro tests had shown that the development of a new vaccine for these variants of the coronavirus was not necessary.
However, the virus variants would continue to be monitored for possible resistance to the vaccine.
The companies examined different coronavirus variants with different mutations.
When the South African variant with three mutations was neutralized, “minor differences” occurred in comparison to the other variants examined.
However, it is unlikely that these "lead to a significant decrease in the effectiveness" of the vaccine, said the companies.
Corona vaccine dispute - no breakthrough at crisis summit
Update from January 28, 9:19 a.m
.: No breakthrough at the crisis summit.
In the vaccine dispute between Brussels and the pharmaceutical company
AstraZeneca
, no agreement has yet been reached.
At the meeting with
AstraZeneca boss
Pascal Soriot, there was a "constructive tone", wrote EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides on Twitter.
“We regret that there is still a lack of clarity about the delivery schedule,” said Kyriakides.
The Commission is asking AstraZeneca "a clear plan for the rapid delivery of the quantities of vaccine doses that we have reserved for the first quarter".
AstraZeneca announced last week that it would deliver 60 percent less vaccine than previously promised.
There are production problems in a plant in Belgium.
In Great Britain, the pharmaceutical giant produces at two locations and primarily supplies the country itself and other non-EU countries.
One point that particularly bothers Brussels.
Export controls for the corona vaccine from the EU are up for debate.
"If they come, it would be the end of vaccine production," a pharmaceutical manager
told BILD
.
The vaccine dispute between the EU and the pharmaceutical company could trigger a trade war, the newspaper predicts.
For their part, non-EU countries would stop deliveries to the EU.
“We don't want a vaccine war, but we won't look into the tube either,” said CDU politician Peter Liese at
t-online.de.
Corona vaccinations: Lauterbach decisively contradicts Spahn - Germany cannot keep the schedule
Update from January 27th, 8.30 p.m
.:
Germany
can
not keep
the promise made by
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU)
that
all those willing to vaccinate in the Federal Republic can be offered a
vaccination against the coronavirus
by
summer
.
At least not if the
SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach has its
way.
“It is very clear: the EU took relatively little money into hand and bought it late.
The criticism is now of no use either.
We need to get on with the vaccine now and make the most of it.
Now the task is to build up the capacities in Germany and for
Germany
and for the EU ”, Lauterbach said
live
on
Bild.
Corona vaccinations in Germany: Karl Lauterbach expects significant vaccination delays
In the next few months, at least the high-risk groups could be vaccinated, explained Lauterbach, “and that is
very important
for
mortality in Germany
.
I assume that we can then make a vaccination offer to everyone by September.
Of course, that doesn't mean that everyone will be vaccinated by September.
It can then take a little longer. ”Head of department
Spahn
from the coalition partner CDU, however, had
sounded different
around Christmas and at the beginning of the year when the
vaccination start in Germany
ultimately failed
.
“I think September is realistic,” said Lauterbach when
asked by Bild
and went on to say: “I don't want to correct or criticize Mr. Spahn's statements.
I do not think it is feasible that we can make everyone a
vaccination offer before September
.
That is my personal assessment. "
+
SPD health expert: Karl Lauterbach.
© via www.imago-images.de
Update from January 27th, 7.30 p.m.:
The bomb alarm at a supplier of the
corona vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca
in
Wales
has been lifted again.
This was announced by the Wockhardt company from Wrexham.
In the morning, a "suspicious package" was found on the factory premises.
This was then examined by explosives experts from the British Army - without the initial suspicion being confirmed.
Coronavirus pandemic: Corona vaccinations in Germany are only progressing slowly
Update from January 27, 5:36 p.m
.: The production of the AstraZeneca vaccine in a plant in Wales (Great Britain) is at a standstill.
A suspicious package was received on Wednesday morning at the location of the pharmaceutical company Wrexham
(see update 2:46 p.m.)
.
A British Army explosives team is on site, according to the BBC.
A robot is also used to search the site.
Update from January 27, 4:35 p.m
.: The
corona vaccinations in Germany
are progressing, but very slowly.
93,141 more vaccine doses
were administered on Tuesday (January 26), according to the data on the vaccination dashboard (as of January 27, 2:55 p.m.).
1,672,215 people (2 percent of the total population) have received a
first vaccination
and
318,674 people have already received a second vaccination
.
Vaccine Zoff escalates: AstraZeneca plant partially evacuated - suspicious package found
Update from January 27, 2:46 p.m
.: A plant for the production of the
AstraZeneca vaccine
had to be partially evacuated.
A suspicious package was the trigger, reports the
BBC
.
The factory in Wales had to be evacuated.
According
to the BBC,
an
explosives clearing squad
had been sent to the Wockhardt company premises.
The police ask the population to avoid the area.
"Wockhardt UK in Wrexham received a suspicious package this morning," the company announced on Twitter.
The responsible authorities had been informed and had recommended that the site be partially vacated.
The safety of the cooperation and the production remained of the utmost importance.
+
Suspicious package discovered at AstraZeneca vaccine manufacturer.
© PAUL ELLIS / AFP
Corona vaccinations in Germany - are there sanctions in the event of delivery delays?
Update from January 27, 1:52 p.m
.: Whether the meeting between AstraZeneca and the EU Commission will actually take place today - on Wednesday evening or tomorrow - is initially unclear.
There is indignation in Brussels and also in Germany.
Are
there
any sanctions in the event of delivery delays
?
- A journalist asked this question at the federal press conference in Berlin on Wednesday afternoon.
"Please address detailed questions to the Commission," replies the Deputy Government Spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer.
The contract negotiations were carried out at EU level and concluded with the Commission.
The public is not aware of the contract.
The EU Commission keeps it under lock and key and refers to confidentiality clauses.
The European Parliament has been demanding access to the files for months.
AstraZeneca corona vaccine only for younger people?
In addition, AstraZeneca's corona vaccine is still awaiting approval.
The EU Medicines Agency EMA wants to decide on January 29th (Friday).
The UK approved the vaccine a month ago.
The British vaccine is
being
used
in Europe, but may only be used
for younger people
, reports the UK's
The Guardian
.
There is not enough data on how well the AstraZeneca Corona vaccine works in people over 65.
EMA boss Emer Cooke did not rule out on Tuesday that the vaccine could be limited to certain age groups.
This recommendation could then affect the
vaccination sequence in Germany.
It was recently leaked that Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn was considering a change
(see also initial notification)
.
In any case, Spahn and RKI boss Wieler have scheduled a press conference for Friday (January 29).
At first it is still unclear whether prioritization is an issue when vaccinating.
In Germany,
1,921,689 corona vaccine doses have been
administered
so far
(as of January 26, 11:20 a.m.), according to the so-called
vaccination dashboard of
the Ministry of Health.
By comparison, 6.8 million doses had been vaccinated in the UK by Tuesday.
Vaccine debacle: AstraZeneca defends itself against allegations - fuss over crisis meetings
Update from January 27, 1:16 p.m
.: Now it is!
The EU crisis meeting with AstraZeneca is taking place
.
The pharmaceutical company wants to attend the scheduled meeting on Wednesday evening.
This was confirmed by the press department of the group of the EU Commission, it was said on Wednesday afternoon in Brussels, as the news agency dpa reported.
"We can confirm that we have not withdrawn from the talks with the EU Commission, which are planned for today," said an AstraZeneca spokesman on request.
The company's management had previously canceled it by e-mail and said that there was currently no point in meeting because of the many open questions.
It was said from the committee that they were pleased with the new development.
Update from January 27, 12.40 p.m
.: Meeting burst!
AstraZeneca cancels crisis meeting with the European Union
(see also update from January 27, 11:36 a.m.)
.
The pharmaceutical company canceled, it was said from EU circles.
The commission and the 27 states had called the meeting with AstraZeneca at expert level for Wednesday evening.
The dispute between the British-Swedish manufacturer over the delivery cuts escalates.
Background: Instead of the expected 80 million vaccine doses in the first quarter, only 31 should arrive according to EU information.
Corona vaccine dispute in Germany: AstraZeneca boss defends himself against allegations
Update from January 27, 11:36 a.m
.: Speed is announced when it
comes to
vaccinations.
The corona vaccine from the British-Swedish
pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca
is about to be approved in the European Union, but has
already
announced
delivery bottlenecks before that
.
Another bad news!
In the UK, however, the vaccine continues to be vaccinated (emergency approval on December 30, 2020).
Everything is going according to plan there.
AstraZeneca
and the EU argue openly.
In a
world
interview, company boss Pascal Soriot defends himself decisively against allegations.
He told the
world
: “As soon as we get approval in the next few days, we will deliver
three million cans
.
Then more every week until we're at 17 million.
They are distributed according to the size of the population, for Germany about three million in a month.
That's not so bad, especially for people who are at a particularly high risk. "
Corona vaccine for the EU: "Not contractually bound" - Astrazeneca boss Soriot
AstraZeneca boss Soriot said in the interview that his company is
not contractually
obliged
to deliver
certain quantities.
Rather, they only
promised
a "
best effort
", that is, to make
an
effort
in the best possible sense.
The pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca canceled a planned meeting for Wednesday at short notice.
That said an EU representative of the news agency AFP.
To justify the British-Swedish manufacturer, he initially gave no information.
+
Corona vaccine debacle: AstraZeneca boss defends himself against allegations by the European Commission (archive photo).
© Chris Kleponis / IMAGO / ZUMA Wire
Corona vaccinations in Germany: Sanofi wants to produce Biontech Pfizer vaccine
First report from January 27, 2021:
Munich -
Corona vaccine development at
the French
pharmaceutical company Sanofi
had stalled.
Now the company is
taking
an unusual step in the corona pandemic and wants
to produce more than 125 million doses of
the corona vaccine
for Biontech
.
Corona vaccine for the European Union.
Sanofi wants to grant the Mainz company Biontech access to its production infrastructure, it said in a message on Wednesday, as the news agency dpa reported.
The
French government recently pushed for
cooperation with the competitor
, reports the
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
.
The pharmaceutical company Sanofi is one of the largest players in the world.
To further develop a corona vaccine, Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) signed a billion-dollar deal (1.8 billion euros) with the US government in spring 2019.
The EU Commission has also reserved 300 million doses of a potential vaccine from Sanofi.
Vaccines available in Germany (as of January 27)
BioNTech since December 26, 2020 - effectiveness of around 95 percent
Moderna since January 14, 2021 - effectiveness of around 95 percent
AstraZeneca should be approved in the EU on January 29th - effectiveness at only about 60 percent
The pharmaceutical giant Sanofi announced a reduction of around 1,700 jobs in the summer of 2020.
The company employs 100,000 people worldwide.
1000 jobs should be cut in France.
Hundreds of jobs should also be cut at his location in Frankfurt, it is hot in summer.
Germany was particularly affected by the shrinking course, complained the works council.
Corona vaccine: The headquarters of Biontech and Sanofi production facilities in Mainz and Frankfurt
The aim is
to take over
"
late-stage manufacturing steps
" to support the delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The first deliveries are to be made in the summer of 2021 from the Sanofi production facilities in
Frankfurt
.
Sanofi General Director Paul Hudson had already commented on Tuesday.
In an interview with the French newspaper
Le Figaro,
he spoke
specifically about
wanting to help with filling the vaccine
.
This needs to be done in a sterile environment and at a very low temperature, he said.
Since the
Sanofi production facility in Frankfurt is close to the Biontech headquarters in Mainz
, that will make things easier.
"We should be able to deliver more than 100 million cans by the end of the year, which are destined for the European Union and thus partly for France", he said in the conversation.
At the same time, the company wants to continue working on its two Covid-19 vaccines.
The corona vaccine development by
Sanofi
and the
British pharmaceutical company GSK
(GlaxoSmithKline) had
recently been delayed
.
If further studies are successful, Sanofi expects approval of the
recombinant protein-based vaccine around the end of 2021.
At the same time,
Sanofi is
developing
an mRNA vaccine in partnership with the US company Translate Bio
.
“There is no way of giving up,” said Hudson “Le Figaro”.
Corona vaccinations in Germany: change in vaccination strategy?
In Germany, people are vaccinated according to prioritized groups.
This is regulated by the vaccination regulation as long as there is not enough vaccine * available (see list below).
When do I get a vaccination appointment?
Is an important question for many.
As the news magazine
Spiegel
reports,
Federal Health
Minister
Jens Spahn (CDU) is
now considering reorganizing the
vaccination sequence in Germany
.
The background is alleged concerns that the expected
corona vaccine from
the British-Swedish manufacturer
AstraZeneca
could have a lower effect
on people over
65
.
Should the European Medicines Agency
EMA
actually
recommend
vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine only for people
under 65 years of age
,
Spahn
could change the
vaccination
priorities - and make the
vaccination available to younger people
.
By the way: Here you can find our Corona news ticker in Germany.
Group 1
: People with the
highest priority
have been vaccinated since December 27, 2020.
According to the vaccination ordinance, people
over 80
as well as residents of nursing homes and facilities for the mentally handicapped are vaccinated first.
The staff of these houses and people who are exposed to a particularly high risk of infection also belong to the first group.
Group 2
:
People over the age of 70, people with trisomy 21, with dementia or intellectual disabilities, after an organ transplant, have
high priority
.
As well as people in outpatient care services.
Doctor: inside and medical staff.
Police and law enforcement officers who are exposed to a high risk of infection while on duty, for example during demonstrations.
Group 3
:
Elevated Priority
- People who are at least 60 years old;
People who have a medical history, such as HIV infection, diabetes mellitus or cancer;
Staff in daycare centers, schools and in retail outlets;
Personnel with a relevant position, for example in pharmacy, water and energy supply or telecommunications;
Personnel in relevant positions, for example in governments, the judiciary or the police and fire services
(ml /dpa/AFP)*Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital network
List of rubric lists: © Jürgen Heinrich via www.imago
