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Jens Spahn and Angela Merkel in the Bundestag
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Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa
Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) joins the demands for a summit meeting on the vaccination campaign against the corona virus.
"We need a vaccination MPK, a Prime Minister's conference just for vaccination," wrote Spahn on Twitter.
At this meeting of the federal government and the federal states, it should be about "the situation, the goals, the further course of action", so that Europe also receives "its fair share".
"And we should invite the pharmaceutical industry, the manufacturers of vaccines in Germany, to an expert talk," Spahn continued.
Several SPD politicians had previously discussed such a vaccination summit.
The Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, Malu Dreyer (SPD), told SPIEGEL on Wednesday: "Vaccination streets are largely empty everywhere in Germany, because the promised vaccines are not being delivered as promised." Chancellor Angela Merkel must therefore meet a summit as soon as possible convened.
The heads of government of Berlin and Brandenburg, Michael Müller and Dietmar Woidke (both SPD), made similar demands.
Among other things, they criticized the delivery problems with the preparations.
The parliamentary managing director of the SPD parliamentary group, Carsten Schneider, accused Spahn in the ZDF »Morgenmagazin« that it would be of no use to hide behind the EU commission.
Schneider also rejected the accusation that the SPD's approach was an election campaign.
It is "normal political work, because otherwise we will not move fast enough."
Spahn wrote on Twitter that the vaccine manufacturers should explain at the meeting how complex the production is: “A vaccine production cannot be set up in four weeks.
If that succeeds in a few months, it will be very quick. ”Then we will see where support from industry is needed.
The health minister expects "at least ten hard weeks" due to the shortage of the vaccine.
In the NDR, Spahn also said that the federal and state governments should not lose more trust.
This happens, however, if there is permanent argument.
The health minister is under pressure because he has promised to offer all those willing to vaccinate in Germany by the summer.
Until then, there will be enough vaccination doses, that is guaranteed by the contracts with the manufacturers, said Spahn in a government statement in mid-January.
Spahn warns of legal dispute with AstraZeneca
The latest developments, for example in the vaccine dispute with the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, are now raising doubts about this statement.
Spahn called on the EU Commission for further negotiations.
A long legal battle over the disclosure of supply contracts does not help in the current situation, he said.
This is "the last thing we need".
Instead, it must be about a fair distribution of the vaccine preparations - "especially if there are delivery problems, as is currently the case".
A crisis talks between the EU and Astrazeneca were unsuccessful on Wednesday evening.
Both sides described the deliberations as "constructive".
But EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides complained that there was still a "lack of clarity" about the timetable.
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