So far, with very few exceptions, the vaccines have only been administered in vaccination centers nationwide.
That'll be over after Easter.
It is now also time to start in the general practitioners' practices.
Munich - Germany ignites the second stage of its so far sluggish vaccination campaign.
It is true that significantly more doses will not be available in one fell swoop, but at least family doctors are also allowed to vaccinate in their practices.
Health Minister Jens Spahn already rejoiced before Easter: "That won't be a big step, but an important one."
Andreas Gassen, head of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) was more specific: "In addition to the 430 vaccination centers that we have so far, there will be 35,000 more." standing vaccination doses.
In Bavaria some of them started in the days before Easter, but things only really get going.
We answer the most important questions about vaccinations in general practitioners' practices - especially in the Free State.
How many vaccine doses are available to general practitioners?
First of all, a very small number.
According to official information, the practices in Germany ordered 1.4 million vaccine doses for the first week.
However, the federal and state governments are initially planning to deliver 940,000 cans for the week.
With the same distribution among the 35,000 GPs involved, that would be just under 27 per practice.
However, the number should increase with increasing availability.
Much more goes to the vaccination centers with 2.25 million doses.
In the coming weeks, however, specialists, private doctors and company doctors will also be cared for.
A significant increase in vaccine deliveries is currently targeted for the week of April 26th.
Then more than three million doses are to be distributed to the doctors.
The KBV also relies on a growing network, not just among the 50,000 general practitioners' practices.
This would see the potential of several million doses per week.
What should be given as a goal, one follows Gassen: “We have to vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate.
Every day counts so that society can return to its normal life. "
In Bavaria, according to Prime Minister Markus Söder, practices will take part in the vaccination campaign after Easter 1635.
Individual doctors, such as those in the Hof district, have been vaccinating for a few weeks.
The number should jump up quickly, the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Bavaria (KVB) is even expecting vaccinations to start in around 8,500 practices from April 7th.
A spokeswoman for the Bavarian Association of General Practitioners (BHÄV) stated in this context that all doctors, specialists and medical psychotherapists in Bavaria are basically free to order vaccines.
After Easter, 18 to 48 vaccination doses per practice per week are initially expected.
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The way to the practice: Many Germans have the greatest trust in their family doctor - which should now also pay off in the vaccination campaign.
© Peter Kneffel / dpa
How do patients get a vaccination appointment with their family doctor?
According to the Federal Ministry of Health, no central invitations are planned.
This means that the general practitioners' practices can arrange appointments themselves - for example by telephone or with online bookings.
"They know their patients best and will address them specifically and arrange a vaccination appointment with them or come home to non-mobile people," says KBV Vice-President Stephan Hofmeister with a view to the start.
In Bavaria, family doctors are expected to contact their patients to make an appointment.
"In the initial phase with still little vaccine, patients should refrain from calling their general practitioner in order not to block the lines and delay the processes in the practices," asks the BHÄV spokeswoman.
For a vaccination appointment in the practice, a registration with the online portal "BayIMCO" is not necessary.
The doctors also have no access to the portal.
Anyone who has been vaccinated by the family doctor should then delete their registration themselves.
According to the KVB, the doctors are free to decide whether they want the vaccinations to be carried out in parallel with ongoing operations or whether they offer additional consultation hours.
According to BHÄV information, many Bavarian doctors are pursuing the plan to administer the preparations against corona infections or at least severe Covid-19 courses at noon or in the evening and thus outside of the actual office hours.
Therefore, it does not necessarily have to lead to longer waiting times in the practices.
Which people are preferably vaccinated in the practices?
Everything as usual.
Furthermore, the corona risk groups should be given priority and given priority.
Doctors are at least given the option of deciding more flexibly who is vaccinated and when, also in order to proceed more efficiently.
However, criticism of the strict adherence to the vaccination sequence has already risen from the general practitioner association.
"The prioritization was and is a good guideline for the doctors as long as the vaccine is still available in small quantities," explains association boss Ulrich Weigeldt in the
Rheinische Post
: "However, we will soon no longer be so focused on numbers, but increasingly on have to look at people's health. "
As soon as the amount of available vaccine has exceeded a certain level, he believes that it is also a matter of “vaccinating the approved vaccine as quickly as possible to everyone who can and wants to”.
However, Eugen Brysch, chairman of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, countered this: “The ethically established sequence continues to apply to the vaccinations offered by family doctors.
It will not be possible to move away in April because vaccines are still in short supply. ”So the prioritization cannot be expected to weaken anytime soon.
In Bavaria, too, the following still applies: older people, patients with previous illnesses and individual professional groups have priority.
However, politicians assured the doctors more flexibility.
For example, the chronically ill could be vaccinated more quickly.
"I trust the doctors when it comes to how they prioritize," said Bavaria's Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) before Easter.
In general, the distribution to the practices is linked to the hope that the general practitioners know their patients very well and can use this experience to better assess who is particularly at risk.
What advantages does politics expect from the involvement of general practitioners?
First of all, of course, a higher vaccination speed due to the broader distribution of vaccines.
Söder is particularly hoping for a lot from the support from the practices.
“First of all, doctors are experienced in vaccinating,” the CSU boss lists: “These are the vaccination professionals in the country.
Second, they vaccinate faster because they also know the patients and because they can, for example, record the chronically ill. ”In addition, the general practitioners can better accompany their patients after the vaccination and, if necessary, recognize signs of reactions.
The spokeswoman for the BHÄV relies above all on the well-coordinatedness and high reputation of the doctors: “General practitioners also enjoy the trust of their patients and can best dispel any existing uncertainties.
And they can also bring the vaccination to people who have restricted mobility and cannot come to the vaccination center. "
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Vaccination start in the doctor's office: After Easter, the strolling should finally be stopped.
© Gregor Fischer / dpa
Which vaccines are offered by general practitioners?
Only deliveries from Biontech / Pfizer are expected for the first weeks of April.
Because this vaccine is available in sufficient quantities.
From the week of April 19, the Astrazeneca vaccine should also be available in practices, and subsequently also that of Johnson & Johnson.
However, according to the Federal Ministry of Health, due to the overall scarcity of goods, it will not be possible for patients to choose which preparation they want to be administered.
What are the costs for the patients?
Probably none at all.
For a corona vaccination including information and advice, a fee of 20 euros is provided for the doctor.
However, the practices can settle these costs for those with statutory and private insurance through the statutory health insurance associations.
The federal government wants to pay for the costs.
This includes 1.5 billion euros, as can be seen from a template from the Federal Ministry of Finance.
In parallel to the increasing deliveries of vaccines, 100 million euros would be estimated in April, 650 million euros in May and finally 730 million euros in June.
Are vaccinations in general practices also recorded by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI)?
Yes.
Like the vaccination centers, the practices should report their data to the RKI so that it can seamlessly map the vaccination process.
According to the KBV, a "restricted data set" must be transmitted on a daily basis. This contains the number of first and second vaccinations including a breakdown by vaccine. On top of that, the number of vaccinated people over 60 must be reported Those who are vaccinated receive a corresponding sticker or note in the vaccination certificate, the doctors make a note in the patient files.
How is the vaccine distributed among general practitioners?
The vaccines are ordered from pharmacies.
This must be done for the following week by 12 noon on Tuesday.
Then, according to the KBV, the order will be delivered on Monday afternoon - this week, because of Easter Monday, it can only be delivered on Wednesday.
Initially, the order quantity per practice is limited to 18 to 50 cans per week.
However, especially at the beginning, it could also happen that less than has been ordered.
The practices should be informed by Thursday of how much vaccine they can plan for the coming week.
This is to ensure that appointments can still be rescheduled.
This logistics system is "a strict regime", said the President of the Federal Association of German Pharmacists' Associations, Gabriele Regina Overwiening: "It will be reliable."
110 wholesale branches nationwide are responsible for the distribution, which anyway supply the 19,000 pharmacies several times a day.
According to Marcus Freitag, Vice-Chairman of the Federal Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers, the preparation from Biontech / Pfizer is delivered “ultra-low-temperature” at minus 75 degrees, then thawed and repackaged in order to arrive at the pharmacies chilled at two to eight degrees.
This is followed by the “final assembly” for the practices.
The scope of delivery then also includes accessories such as syringes, cannulas and saline solution for diluting.
A key is followed in the distribution, which, among other things, takes into account the proportion of the population of the countries.
(mg, with dpa)
List of rubric lists: © Gregor Fischer / dpa