Stiko boss Mertens bursts the collar with "Markus Lanz" - and would not have grandchildren vaccinated

This topic divides the country: In “Markus Lanz” Thomas Mertens argues that healthy children and young people should not be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Hamburg - “Markus Lanz” on Thursday evening will, among other things, be about the question of whether children and young people who have no previous illness should be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

A sensitive topic - because even the most experienced experts disagree.

The chairman of the Standing Vaccination Commission, Thomas Mertens, for example, advocates not recommending vaccination unreservedly for all 12 to 17 year olds.

When ZDF presenter Markus Lanz asks: "Would you have your grandchildren vaccinated?", The virologist replies with a rigid expression: "No, I would not have healthy children vaccinated at the moment."

A statement for which he gets a lot of headwind.

Especially from him: SPD leader Norbert Walter-Borjans.

"Markus Lanz" - these were his guests on July 15th:

• Thomas Mertens

  - Chairman of the Standing Vaccination Commission

• Norbert Walter-Borjans

  - Co-Chairman of the SPD

• Stefanie Schwarz-Gutknecht

  - pediatrician from Mannheim

• Cerstin Gammelin

  - Journalist "Süddeutsche Zeitung"

In the program on July 15, the scientist looked almost personally offended when he was asked questions by Markus Lanz.

For him the discussion is almost “grotesque”.

Mertens points out that his decision not to make a general vaccination recommendation for healthy children also applies to his own family, of course.

Norbert Walter-Borjans (CDU) warns Stiko boss Thomas Mertens against influencing the audience with his opinion

However, he does not share this view with everyone at “Markus Lanz”.

SPD party leader Norbert Walter-Borjans accuses Mertens in the ZDF program, for example, of influencing viewers with his statement - and ultimately making a recommendation to the whole country.

He makes it clear: "That also has something to do with communication."

Thereupon the Stiko boss Thomas Mertens bursts the collar and he defends himself with the emotional words: “You tell me to say a little different now when I'm on the show.

You can't be serious then. "

Walter-Borjans then rowed back a little and said that he was only suggesting to Mertens not to say anything in such a delicate situation.

SPD boss Norbert Walter-Borjans shoots at "Markus Lanz" (ZDF) against Armin Laschet: "Certain volatility"

But the SPD leader at "Markus Lanz" is not only upset about Thomas Mertens' statement.

He also talks about the "fair weather policy" of the Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet (CDU) in a rage - and states that this shows no kind of reliability.

How does Walter-Borjans want to fix that?

It goes against the grain that Laschet has implemented far-reaching easing in his state of North Rhine-Westphalia for regions with an incidence below ten.

An absurdity, as the SPD boss makes clear in the ZDF broadcast and at the same time accuses Laschet of a “certain volatility”.

Markus Lanz then wants to know why SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz, in contrast to Laschet, is running a real solo election campaign - far away from his own party.

Norbert Walter-Borjans explains unconvincingly: "People want to see a leader."

The SPD politician continues: "I believe that Armin Laschet does it differently because he believes that he cannot provide this communication service."

"Markus Lanz" - the conclusion of the show

At “Markus Lanz” there is a lot going on on Thursday evening - with steep theses from Stiko boss Thomas Mertens and wild arguments from SPD party leader Norbert Walter-Borjans. Especially the topic of “vaccinating children” seems to be getting everyone into a rage. The chairman of the Standing Vaccination Commission would not have his own grandchildren vaccinated and thus met with incomprehension. His defense? "I think it's bad advice to abolish an independent commission of experts because they say something that is not acceptable."