Politicians, doctors and representatives from culture and business explain their point of view.
District - The vaccination rate in Germany is stagnating.
But experts are certain: the vaccine is the only way out of the pandemic.
The calls for mandatory vaccinations are getting louder, and District Administrator Christoph Göbel (CSU) recently also called for one.
We asked representatives from culture, business and politics: What do you think of that?
Claudia Köhler, Member of Parliament (Greens):
"Vaccination leads to the pandemic, I am convinced of that. It not only protects me, but also all those who cannot be vaccinated, especially the children. I have been vaccinated with Moderna and have had short-term side effects, yes. But I don't even like to imagine how the side effects of Corona would have been on me. It's super annoying that the worm was in the vaccination in Bavaria from the start. A hesitant vaccination campaign, hiccups about prioritization, initially too little vaccine, rumors and poor education. Then the premature closure of the vaccination centers. And maybe it was a bit premature to exclude compulsory vaccination right at the beginning of the pandemic, when no one knew about it. In the meantime we have massively increasing numbers of infections and overloaded intensive care units. I personally say:
I'm fed up with the ruthlessness of some.
I think we can increase the vaccination rate even more with better controls and good education and lower threshold offers.
But I also say that personally I am the last option for mandatory vaccination.
And if that is necessary, you shouldn't wait another year. "
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Claudia Köhler, Member of the State Parliament (Greens)
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Matthias Riedel-Rüppel, Artistic Director of the Small Theater in Haar:
“What worries me most about vaccination is the social division it leads to. I am in Madrid at the moment, the vaccination rate for over 12 year olds is 85 percent and the mood between people is much better, and the togetherness is uncomplicated. In nursing care, i.e. in hospitals and care facilities, where it is a matter of protecting people, there should be compulsory vaccination in my opinion. I can already hear the objections that the vaccination does not protect against the transmission of the virus. May be so.
However, when riding a motorcycle it is also compulsory to wear a helmet that only minimizes the risk of injury. If you don't want that, you can't ride a motorcycle. In the cultural area, however, I consider the restrictions that exist with 2G to be sufficient. The experience of the last few weeks shows a vaccination rate of almost 100 percent among visitors. So a compulsory vaccination would have no further effect. Nevertheless, the political pressure was of course increased insanely, which tends to lead to further resistance among those who oppose the vaccination. May our society endure it. "
Florian Schardt, SPD district chairman:
“Two groups are currently overloading the clinics: firstly, unvaccinated people, secondly, vaccinated people from risk groups. The latter need unbureaucratic offers for booster vaccinations, the vaccination centers have to be restarted, supplemented by low-threshold offers on site. A double strategy is needed for unvaccinated people: advertise, advertise, advertise on the one hand, but also the nationwide use of 2G for adults, which is close to mandatory vaccination. Personal freedom is a great asset. It ends where the freedom of others is excessively restricted. "
Florian Hahn, Member of the Bundestag (CSU):
“In principle, I can understand the sympathy for compulsory vaccination.
Because non-vaccination is very likely to lead to an illness at some point in time and the chains of infection that arise as a result must be excluded as far as possible in the interests of all of us.
In this respect, in my opinion, not vaccinating is to a large extent not based on solidarity.
Nonetheless, coercion always triggers backlash and that shouldn't be the first choice, especially in an already highly polarizing time.
Rather, we must continue to encourage people to participate and do all we can to persuade them.
However, I am very concerned about the situation in the hospitals and care facilities as well as for our children, who have had to endure so much. "
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Florian Hahn, Member of the Bundestag (CSU)
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Christoph Leicher, chairman of the IHK regional committee:
“The extreme increase in infections makes the long overdue integration of comprehensive antibody tests for vaccinated and convalescent clear after six months at the latest.
The "unknown quantified protection status" is an enormous risk for this large group of people.
Almost all of them think they are unreflected in a deceptive security and do without the all-important FFP2 masks.
Furthermore, very few people realize that they can spread the virus to third parties even after a complete vaccination.
Through the haphazard back and forth in the early phase of the vaccination, the politically responsible contributed significantly to the enormous skepticism of those who are still unvaccinated today.
Compulsory vaccination would currently only lead to a minor improvement in the situation. Especially after the stringent police controls of the 3G / 2G rules proclaimed for Bavaria, this would lead to a “criminalization” of the unvaccinated. That wouldn't help anyone. "
Friedrich Kiener, general practitioner:
“I am in favor of compulsory vaccination in professional groups that work with particularly vulnerable groups. If the compulsory vaccination means that there are all freedoms again, I would even recommend it for the general public. Mandatory vaccination from the start would have been smart. Now it's hard to convey. Some of my patients have reservations; many ask: why am i getting vaccinated if i can still carry the virus around? Parents also have well-founded concerns. Because: Corona is not very dangerous for children.
The risk of long-term damage is low for 12 to 30 year olds.
The risk of developing myocarditis from an MRNA vaccination, however, is 1:17,000 in this age group. Older people in particular should therefore get vaccinated so that the intensive care beds remain free for those who really need them.
Young people should get vaccinated if she wants to act as a vector - but one shouldn't blame young people for fear of killing their grandparents, as was the case at the beginning of the pandemic. ”Pk / fp / lm