Biontech order limit: "Sabotage" the vaccination campaign? Spahn in the storm of criticism - "Can't withdraw it"

Health Minister Jens Spahn is massively criticized because of the Biontech order limit.

On ZDF he explained his decision to boost moderna more.

Berlin - While over 30 percent of Germans have not yet received a vaccination against the coronavirus, the first booster vaccinations are already picking up speed.

The Managing Minister of Health Jens Spahn steered in a new direction: Instead of using Biontech as before, he now wants to vaccinate more with Moderna.

He received a lot of criticism for this.

The CDU politician declared himself on ZDF.

In a letter to the federal states, the Federal Ministry of Health announced limits on order quantities for the Biontech vaccine for the next few weeks.

To this end, the Moderna preparation is to be increasingly used for booster vaccinations.

The reason given in the letter was that otherwise stored Moderna cans threatened to expire.

Criticism of order limit for Biontech vaccine: "Grotesque organizational failure"

Many pages are now hailing criticism of Health Minister Spahn: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig accused the Ministry in the

right to throw "chunks in the Impfgetriebe" and called for a withdrawal of the plans. Other federal states and doctors' representatives are also resisting it, especially since the moderna vaccine, which is available without an order limit, is no longer recommended for people under 30 years of age in Germany. Experts therefore fear that the Biontech cap could slow the vaccination rate.

The health policy spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group, Sabine Dittmar, accused Spahn of

a “grotesque organizational

failure” in the

.

The FDP parliamentary group was also dissatisfied with Spahn's mixed signals: "Federal

Health Minister

Spahn has done himself and the vaccination campaign no service with his announcement," quotes

health politician Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus.

We don't need new discussions about vaccines now, we need to vaccinate as much as possible.

Because of Spahn's mixed signals: Experts fear obstruction of the vaccination campaign

Medical representatives also sharply criticized and pointed to many practical problems that the decision could bring with it.

It is feared that people who have already agreed on booster vaccinations with Biontech might hesitate if they are offered Moderna, and that in the practices, a lot of inquiries and rebookings will result in significant extra work.

Statutory health insurance associations in the federal states also reacted with harsh words and spoke of “massive disabilities”, “disorganization” and even “sabotage” of the vaccination campaign.

SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach thinks Spahn's plan is “not right”, as he explained on Deutschlandfunk.

“Because many people in Germany trust the Biontech vaccine in particular.

It is also produced in Germany. "

Spahn defends vaccine decision: "Question of the available quantity"

The managing health minister Spahn defended his decision on Sunday evening (November 21) in the ZDF program "Berlin direkt".

A withdrawal of the upper order limit is no longer possible, said the CDU politician.

“I can't withdraw it because it's simply a question of the amount available.

We're not holding anything back.

I can't deliver a vaccine from Biontech that isn't there. "

The good news, however, is that the demand has increased insanely in the past two weeks.

"We will be delivering six million Biontech cans from tomorrow alone," said Spahn.

Due to this massive demand, the Biontech warehouse is currently running empty.

"And the fact is that I don't have more than two to three million doses of Biontech vaccine at the moment." He admitted: "We should have communicated that more clearly."

Health ministers' conference on the corona situation: "Eliminate Spahn's chaos"

Spahn deeply regrets that there is a lot of stress in the medical practices that have adjusted to Biontech.

With the vaccine from Moderna, however, there is a good, equally effective alternative.

"So the key message is: there is enough vaccine," stressed Spahn.

On Monday (November 22nd) Spahn will consult with the health ministers of the federal states about the Biontech order limits, as the Bavarian health minister and GMK chairman Klaus Holetschek announced.

The Federal Minister of Health, Daniela Behrens, said Lower Saxony's Minister of Health, Daniela Behrens, will be advised on how the chaos caused by Federal Minister Spahn can be eliminated.