New quarrel about the compulsory vaccination: FDP minister warns of register - doctors' representatives even consider it "unrealistic"

Created: 12/28/2021, 12:27 PM

From: Astrid Theil

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD, r.) Talks to Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (center) and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (both FDP) (archive picture) on his arrival for the weekly cabinet meeting in the Chancellery.

© Michael Sohn / dpa

The upcoming decision on a general vaccination is causing a stir.

The focus is now also on a possible vaccination register - opinions differ widely.

Berlin - In January 2022, the Bundestag is to vote on a general vaccination requirement * - without a parliamentary group.

Before Christmas, the Ethics Council spoke out in favor of extending the mandatory vaccination that had already been decided on for employees in clinics or nursing homes to “major parts of the population”. 

How the conscientious decision of the MPs will turn out, however, still seems to be fairly open: The opinion on the compulsory vaccination differ in society, politics and expert circles.

There is also some disagreement within the parties.

While FDP leader Christian Lindner has spoken out in favor of compulsory vaccination, some party colleagues are strictly against it *.

There are many reasons for rejecting the compulsory vaccination.

And it is increasingly evident that the devil is partly in the details.

General compulsory vaccination: Vice-President of the Bundestag and Federal Minister of Justice criticize

Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP =) warns against the proposal of a vaccination register that is linked to mandatory vaccination. Proponents of such a register argue that an effective control of mandatory vaccination in any other way would hardly be possible.

In an interview with the

Buschmann was

very skeptical.

"I am always reluctant to use national registers that store data on the entire population," said Buschmann.

"Data protection officials fear that the state will gain extensive access to all health data of citizens," said Buschmann.

"The state cannot and should not control everyone and everything at any time," said the FDP politician.

He spoke out in favor of random checks of evidence, as is now also the case with the 3G rule in rail traffic *.

Head of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians: Creation of a vaccination register takes "months, maybe years"

The Federal Commissioner for Data Protection, Ulrich Kelber, has a different opinion. He thinks the introduction of a national vaccination register is feasible. "A national vaccination register is not impossible under data protection law," Kelber told the newspapers of the

. However, politicians "urgently need to first identify very specifically the goals they want to achieve so that one can judge whether a central vaccination register is necessary for this or whether other measures are sufficient or even better suited". "Then the necessary data collection and processing must be clarified, together with the necessary protective measures," said Kelber.

The chairman of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), Andreas Gassen, is critical of the creation of a vaccination register and rejects a general obligation to vaccinate against the coronavirus *.

The KBV thinks "the prompt creation of a central register to prepare for a possible corona vaccination is unrealistic," emphasized Gassen to the

.

The construction would "take months, maybe years".

Prevent anger and flood of lawsuits: persuasion instead of mandatory vaccination

In Gassen's view, politics must focus on other measures. "Better than turning a big, uncontrollable wheel on the subject of mandatory vaccination and vaccination registers, would be to focus all efforts on vaccinations and boosters," said Gassen. "You can't seriously impose a compulsory vaccination on people and then find out that the effect of the vaccine only lasts a few months," Gassen emphasized.

"As long as there is no final answer to the essential questions, politicians should keep themselves covered with announcements of mandatory vaccinations, otherwise, on the one hand, unrealizable expectations will be aroused and, on the other hand, unnecessary social conflicts will be fueled," warned the KBV boss.

"If not significantly more people are vaccinated at the end of the day, the compulsory vaccination will not do much apart from massive anger, aggressive demonstrations and a flood of lawsuits."

Health expert Dahmen (Greens): first create vaccination offers

Green health expert Janosch Dahmen also slowed down on Tuesday in terms of mandatory vaccination. Before they can be introduced, he emphasized that sufficient vaccination offers must first be created. "Before we finally activate and implement an obligation, the whole thing must have been preceded by a sufficient number of offers," said Dahmen to Bayerischer Rundfunk. He referred to "long lines" in front of vaccination centers and doctors' offices.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) is providing enough vaccine for the first quarter of the year, added the Greens with a view to a heated debate recently. “To vaccinate and implement everything now, for all people who are currently ready in large numbers to be vaccinated, everything must be upstream. And if that is not enough then an obligation will also be necessary and, if necessary, take effect. " 

Dahmen emphasized that the Bundestag would deliberate in January on how a general vaccination requirement could be structured.

But first and foremost, he advocates convincing people who are still hesitant.

He rejects the proposal of the Bavarian Minister of Health, Klaus Holetschek, to demand higher health insurance contributions from unvaccinated people.

"I think such sanctions are the wrong way." That leads "more to the fact that the confrontation increases and not bridges are built".