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Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD): in a shopping spree?
Photo: Roland Weihrauch / dpa
Shortly after taking office, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) announced a frightening lack of vaccines.
However, generous repeat orders are now in danger of being forfeited.
Because the federal government currently has around 77 million doses of corona vaccine in stock, some of which will soon reach their expiry date.
This scope of the camp existed on April 4th, as the Federal Ministry of Health announced on Sunday on request.
On March 21, the number was still 70 million cans, according to the "Welt am Sonntag" in a government response to a Union request.
The Union criticized the purchases.
According to the information, the 70 million include 27.4 million doses from the manufacturer Biontech, 40.2 million from the company Moderna, 1.3 million doses from Johnson & Johnson and 700,000 from Novavax.
However, demand has fallen sharply: currently, an average of 34,000 doses are administered daily.
»The minister no longer knows any limits when it comes to vaccine orders«
According to the government response, at least 11 million cans of stored cans will reach their expiry date by the end of June, and another 57 million in the third quarter.
The Union health expert Tino Sorge therefore criticized Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) in the newspaper.
“The minister no longer knows any limits when it comes to vaccine orders.
He orders whatever is there – the actual need and the costs no longer matter to him,” said Sorge.
Lauterbach is "on a shopping spree".
Concern demanded information about the costs incurred by the federal government.
According to its own statements, the Federal Ministry of Health is committed to extending the shelf life of the vaccines that have already been delivered, insofar as the available stability data from the pharmaceutical companies justify this.
The shelf life of the vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer has already been extended from six to nine months, and a further extension is planned.
The company Moderna has also extended the shelf life of its vaccine from seven to nine months.
The company has already been asked to submit data for a further extension.
In principle, Covid-19 vaccines procured by the federal government for the national vaccination campaign would be made available to service providers according to need and demand, the ministry said.
In addition, opportunities to donate vaccines are being reviewed on an ongoing basis.
muk/AFP