Lauterbach believes that compulsory corona vaccination will continue to fail in the future – “no scope for further easing”

Created: 04/09/2022, 04:49 am

By: Momir Takac, Patrick Huljina

After the failure to vaccinate, Lauterbach expects a serious fight against corona in the fall.

He sees no scope for further easing.

• Press conference on the

  corona situation in Germany

  : Health Minister Lauterbach, RKI boss Wieler and DIVI President Marx spoke on Friday.

• Peak of the Corona wave "now clearly exceeded": The Robert Koch Institute is now sure.

• This news ticker for the Pk on the Corona situation in Germany is continuously updated.

Update from April 8th, 11.30 a.m .:

The press conference on the current Corona situation is over.

Both Lauterbach, Wieler and Marx drew attention to the current positive development in the number of corona cases.

"We have passed the peak of the current wave," said the RKI boss in his statement.

However, the death toll is still too high.

DIVI President Marx described the number of 200 to 300 deaths per day as “unbearable”.

Although there is currently no overload in the intensive care units, the situation is still tense due to staff shortages.

Another major topic of the PK was the end of compulsory vaccination.

Health Minister Lauterbach regards the decision in the Bundestag as a "bitter defeat" - also personally.

He was “very pessimistic” that there would be another attempt at compulsory corona vaccination.

The Minister of Health also makes it clear: "We have no leeway for further easing." With a view to the likely upcoming wave in autumn, Lauterbach hopes for further vaccinations and expects that the infection protection law will have to be adjusted.

As an example, he cites a return to the mask requirement.

Lauterbach expects masks to be compulsory in autumn – daily death toll “terrible”

11.15 a.m .:

The current Infection Protection Act expires on September 23rd.

Lauterbach explains that this will certainly have to be adjusted again with a view to autumn.

He assumes that there will be no avoiding a mask requirement.

11.11 a.m .:

You have to expect that the vaccination protection will also decrease in many people who have already been vaccinated in the coming autumn, explained Lauterbach.

However, be prepared for that.

11.08 a.m .:

Again, both Lauterbach and Wieler go into the high number of deaths.

These are “terrible”, according to the RKI boss.

Nevertheless, they are comparatively low in relation to the number of infections.

"That's the success of the vaccination," Wieler clarifies.

DIVI President Marx explains again that many of the corona patients in the intensive care units are not vaccinated.

Lauterbach: "Will not have general vaccination requirements in autumn"

10.50 a.m .:

"I am now preparing for the fact that we will not have general vaccination requirements in the fall," explains Lauterbach.

In view of the clarity of the decision in the Bundestag, he lacks the imagination that something could change.

Lauterbach assumes that the population must be protected by other means.

He includes measures in a new infection protection law and a new vaccination campaign.

10.48 a.m .:

A vaccination would have had “no effect at all” for the current situation, explains Marx.

However, that was not the point.

A compulsory vaccination would have made sense with a view to the coming autumn and winter, according to the DIVI President.

10.45 a.m .:

“An obligation to advise on a vaccination that does not exist cannot make sense,” says Lauterbach when asked.

It is clear that the traffic light parties do not fully agree on Corona policy.

The booster campaign worked well.

The hotspot regulation also sent a good signal to the population.

Lauterbach explained that appropriate measures would be found together with a view to autumn.

Obligation to vaccinate a “severe defeat” – number of deaths “unbearable”

10.38

a.m .: According to Wieler’s assessment, if vaccination was mandatory, more people would have been vaccinated in the fall than without the mandatory vaccination.

One must continue to try to get people to be vaccinated.

It protects against serious illnesses and death.

You have to convey that to people, according to the RKI boss.

When asked, Lauterbach explained that he was “very pessimistic” that there would be another attempt at compulsory corona vaccination.

However, one should not close oneself off from such discussions.

When asked, DIVI President Marx once again made it clear that they had already spoken out in favor of general vaccination from the age of 18.

The number of 200 to 300 deaths a day is "unbearable" for him as a doctor, according to Marx.

10.34 a.m .:

Lauterbach explains when asked that the vaccination requirement is a “severe defeat”.

It doesn't matter what other countries do.

The health minister is concerned about the high death toll.

With a view to the coming autumn and winter, he fears rising numbers in this area.

With a view to a statement by Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP) that vaccinations are "self-protection and not protection of others", Lauterbach and Wieler explained that his expertise in this area is not at the level it should be.

DIVI President Marx: "No overloading of the intensive care units"

10.30 a.m .:

"The most important resource in the healthcare system is the people who work here," says Marx.

It needs a perspective for these people and a package of measures.

To retain employees and attract new employees.

10:28 a.m .:

“There is currently no overload in the intensive care units,” explains DIVI President Marx at the beginning of his statement.

You currently have to treat significantly fewer patients than at the peak of the Delta variant.

In addition, the duration of treatment is significantly shorter for Omikron patients.

Nevertheless, some hospitals still have to postpone operations.

Many clinics work in restricted operation.

The reason is the lack of staff.

According to Marx, many employees are absent due to illness and their own infections.

"Corona is not over yet," says the DIVI boss.

An increase in intensive care patients due to influenza is expected in the coming autumn and winter.

Marx therefore calls for compliance with the hygiene rules and also to think about the flu vaccination.

RKI boss Wieler: "The peak of the wave passed" - a call for vaccinations

10.22 a.m .:

The number of corona patients is also decreasing in the hospitals, says Wieler.

"Omicron is more contagious than all previous variants," said the RKI boss.

It is no longer possible to trace all individual cases.

The focus is therefore on protecting vulnerable groups and preventing severe Covid 19 courses.

Anyone who has been infected with Omikron and is not vaccinated has "no good protection against the other variants," explains Wieler.

You have an effective vaccine.

It reduces the risk of a serious or fatal course, as well as the long-term consequences.

In this context, he also calls on those who are already infected to get vaccinated.

"Get vaccinated or refreshed," was the RKI boss's appeal.

Comparatively high numbers of cases are expected in summer.

You should continue to wear masks indoors on your own responsibility.

10.18 a.m .:

“We have passed the peak of the current wave,” explains RKI boss Lothar Wieler at the beginning of his statement.

The significant drop in the number of cases and incidences is “good news for all of us”.

However, the number of cases is still at a very high level.

It is reassuring that many corona infections are mild, says Wieler.

However, the death toll is still “depressing”.

In the current situation, the structures of the health system continue to be heavily burdened.

Lauterbach: "No scope for further easing"

10.15 a.m .:

The Minister of Health announced a new vaccination campaign.

"We have to use the next few months to continuously promote vaccinations," says Lauterbach.

That could make a real difference when it comes to autumn.

Lauterbach asks Easter vacationers to be tested before the trip.

Easter should not lead to an interruption of the currently positive corona trend.

The Minister of Health is again calling for a fourth vaccination for those over 70.

So far, this Stiko recommendation has been “far too rarely used”.

According to Lauterbach, people with risk factors should take advantage of the offer of a fourth corona vaccination, especially from the age of 60.

10.10 a.m .:

“We have no leeway for further easing,” Lauterbach clarifies.

The number of people dying is currently increasing.

Lauterbach expects a summer wave and a difficult autumn.

One cannot currently “afford” to lift the obligation to isolate, he explains.

The hotspot regulations were important.

By September 23 at the latest, you have to go back to the Infection Protection Act.

With a view to autumn, Lauterbach is bringing another mask requirement into play.

The Minister of Health explains that one could have afforded more freedom if vaccination had been compulsory.

Lauterbach: Vaccination-off a "bitter defeat" - warning of a new wave in autumn

10.05 a.m .:

Minister of Health Lauterbach starts with positive news.

“The number of cases is falling significantly.” The decline in the number of cases is relatively stable.

The number of serious illnesses and deaths continues to worry him.

"A bitter defeat" was the vaccination requirement for all supporters, but also for him personally.

According to Lauterbach, it would have been "urgently necessary".

The magnitude of the decision makes it very unlikely that anything will move in the Bundestag on this matter in the future.

Lauterbach explains that the end of compulsory vaccination is bad news for all vulnerable groups and especially for the deaths that could have been prevented as a result.

"I had hoped that we would be in a different situation in the fall," said Lauterbach.

This is now less certain due to the compulsory vaccination.

"In autumn we will probably not go into the expected wave for the third time in the best possible way," Lauterbach fears.

It is possible that there will be no wave, but that is "very unlikely".

The conditions for new variants are currently "optimal", according to the Minister of Health.

"We have to expect a new wave in the fall," he explained.

Update from April 8, 10 a.m.:

The press conference on the current corona situation in Germany with Health Minister Lauterbach, RKI boss Wieler and DIVI President Marx begins.

After compulsory vaccination gossip: Lauterbach is planning a new vaccination campaign

Update from April 8, 9:25 a.m .:

After the failure of the Corona vaccination requirement in the Bundestag, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) wants to start a new vaccination campaign.

"We have to target a really effective vaccination campaign again at those who have not yet been vaccinated, but who are basically ready," he said on

on Friday .

You know that there is such a group, especially people with a migration background.

"They have to be achieved, we mustn't give up.

By the way, we also have to advertise more creatively.

We're preparing something right now."

The Bundestag had voted against compulsory vaccination on Thursday.

Lauterbach therefore no longer sees the possibility of further easing.

You've "reached the end of the road," he said.

“If we had managed to make vaccination compulsory, there would have been much more room for relaxation in autumn.

Now I see it that the Infection Protection Act will probably have to be adjusted again early in the fall.

Update from April 8, 6:08 a.m .:

The seven-day incidence in Germany has continued to fall.

The RKI gave the value on Friday as 1181.2 (previous day: 1251.3; previous week: 1586.4).

175,263 new infections were registered within one day.

There were also 334 deaths.

The current corona situation is also a topic today at a press conference with Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, RKI boss Lothar Wieler and DIVI President Gernot Marx.

Corona situation in Germany: RKI sees the peak of the current wave "clearly exceeded" - PK on Friday

Update from April 7, 10:43 p.m .:

For the Robert Koch Institute *, the apex of the current corona wave has long been crossed.

"

" writes the RKI in the weekly report on Thursday evening, which mainly refers to data from the past week.

The institute justifies this assessment with the drop in the nationwide seven-day incidence by 19 percent compared to the previous week.

According to the RKI report, the numbers in all age groups and in almost all federal states also fell.

Nevertheless, health experts are still talking about a very high infection pressure.

Pk on the Corona situation in Germany with Wieler, Lauterbach and Marx

First report from April 7th

Berlin – The recently tense Corona virus* situation seems to be relaxing.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported on Thursday for the tenth day in a row a nationwide seven-day incidence*.

The downward trend will be the subject of the press conference on the infection process on Friday, 10 a.m.

Press conference on the corona situation in Germany: declining trend in the number of infections

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach*, RKI boss Lothar Wieler and Gernot Marx will report at the federal press conference.

The intensive care physician is President of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) and will speak about the situation in the hospitals.

A slight downward trend is expected for the hospitalization rate.

After 6.62 on Wednesday, it was 6.5 on Thursday.

Participants in the press conference on the Corona situation in Germany

• Karl Lauterbach, Federal Minister of Health

• Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute

• Gernot Marx, President of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI)

According to the current situation, there will be no means available to combat the pandemic: In the Bundestag, compulsory corona vaccination for all people over the age of 60 did not receive a majority.

It will be interesting how the experts assess the failure of compulsory vaccination.

Shortly after the vote in the Bundestag, Lauterbach tweeted: "Now the fight against Corona will be much more difficult in the fall."

After failure to vaccinate: Lauterbach does not give up

However, the SPD minister has already announced a new push for compulsory vaccination *.

"In order to avoid unnecessary sacrifices in autumn, the attempt should not be given up to achieve mandatory vaccination by then.

You can never give up when it comes to other people's lives.

That's how I think as a doctor, that's how I think as a politician," he said on Thursday.