Enlarge image
The yellow vaccination certificate: The digital corona vaccination certificate should come in June
Photo: Marijan Murat / picture alliance / dpa
Despite the increasing number of cases, Federal Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht does not want tougher penalties for falsifying vaccination passports.
"It's about precise controls, not about higher penalties," said the SPD politician to the "Handelsblatt".
There are already "very clear rules of criminal law."
"Anyone who deceives here risks heavy fines or even imprisonment," said Lambrecht.
"That is the right announcement."
Lambrecht said falsifying a vaccination card or using false evidence was "morally reprehensible."
"Because anyone who pretends to be vaccinated is willing to endanger others," said the minister.
"I am sure that we will take a close look here and, if necessary, take very consistent action."
Germany wants to introduce a digital corona vaccination certificate together with the EU in June.
For those who have already been completely vaccinated, the vaccination status should be transferred from the analog vaccination record.
Lambrecht hopes that it will go quickly. The digital vaccination certificate must be able to be used across Europe. "This is very important at a time when we are all looking forward to vacation," she said. "But it must then also be guaranteed that everything that is entered there is true," added the minister. "That is why it is important that the bodies that carry out the vaccination also issue the corresponding confirmations." This is the only way to build trust in this vaccination certificate.
Hesse's Justice Minister Eva Kühne-Hörmann (CDU), among others, recently called for harsher sentences and announced a corresponding initiative for the Justice Ministers' Conference in the summer.
Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) sees it similarly.
"This is not a minor offense, but a forgery of documents," Herrmann told the newspapers of the Funke media group (Friday edition).
At the same time, he sees the federal government and the European Union as having an obligation.
"It is high time that an electronic vaccination card that is forgery-proof is available soon," said the CSU politician.
General Practitioners' Association doubts that digital vaccination records will come by June
The German Association of General Practitioners doubts the planned introduction of the digital vaccination pass by the end of June.
There is little to suggest that the ID card will be available across the board by the beginning of the summer travel season, said Ulrich Weigeldt, head of the association, of the Augsburger Allgemeine (Friday).
"With a view to bureaucratic requirements and other painful complications, one can have doubts as to whether the full-bodied announcements will be promptly followed by action."
Regardless of this, general practitioners' practices should "by no means be burdened with more bureaucracy," said the medical officer.
The doctors needed time for patients, but "certainly not to hire us as the passport office of the republic."
It is all the more important that the yellow vaccination card recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) remains valid as proof.
mfh / dpa
