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Imp center in Berlin
Photo: Paul Zinken / dpa
The vaccination centers in Germany are to remain in place until the end of the year.
The federal and state health ministers agreed on this on Monday, as the Saarland state government announced.
A corresponding application from Saarland had been supported by all federal states during the deliberations;
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) had given an oral promise.
So far, the existence of the vaccination centers had only been agreed until the end of April.
"It would have been fatal to repeat the measures from the past and to suspend the funding prematurely," said the Saarland Minister of Health Monika Bachmann (CDU).
The vaccination centers are funded half by the federal government and half by the federal states.
In late summer, the centers were closed or shut down in many places.
Numerous centers were later restarted to give the vaccination campaign a boost, particularly in connection with the booster vaccinations.
Proof of recovery via app
The health ministers also want to create the legal basis for those who have recovered from Covid to digitally prove their status at access controls.
Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has promised to implement this promptly, said Saxony-Anhalt's Minister of Health Petra Grimm-Benne.
The SPD politician is currently the chairwoman of the conference of health ministers.
The Federal Ministry of Health is to create a corresponding legal basis "with which the obligation to exclusively present a digitally readable health record" becomes possible for access controls, for example for events or in restaurants.
This would be possible by storing the evidence in the Corona warning app.
Further scientific investigations are necessary before the fourth vaccination
At their first regular conference this year, the health ministers also discussed a possible fourth vaccination.
So far, the booster vaccination campaign for booster vaccinations has been running in Germany, usually with the third injection.
Israel, on the other hand, is vaccinating for the fourth time.
Grimm-Benne initially left it open to what extent this example would be followed.
More scientific research is needed first, she said.
slü / AFP