CDU attests Lauterbach "shopping frenzy" - "Minister no longer knows any limits when ordering vaccines"
Created: 04/11/2022 04:53
By: Anna Lehmer
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) is accused of "shopping frenzy".
Corona vaccine doses are stacked up in the federal government's central warehouse.
© Michael Kappeler/dpa
The federal government stores 77 million corona vaccine doses, most of which expire by autumn.
CDU health politician Sorge therefore assumes Lauterbach is on a "shopping frenzy".
Berlin - Germany sits on mountains of vaccine doses.
A total of 77 million doses of corona vaccine were in the federal warehouse as of April 4th.
The Federal Ministry of Health announced this to the
world on Sunday
.
Within two weeks, the supply had increased by ten percent, on March 21, 70 million cans were counted.
This figure comes from a government response to a request from the Union faction, which the newspaper has seen.
Karl Lauterbach on a “shopping frenzy”: millions of corona vaccine doses in stock
On March 21, around 27.4 million cans from the manufacturer Biontech, 40.2 million from the company Moderna and 1.3 million cans from Johnson & Johnson were in the federal government’s central warehouse.
It would also stack 700,000 doses of Novavax.
Federal states repeatedly returned large quantities of unused vaccine doses to the federal government.
One manufacturer in particular was spurned by the Germans.
CDU health politician Tino Sorge can hardly understand the stock that has been built up.
He therefore criticized Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) in the newspaper.
The health minister is “on a shopping spree”.
Corona vaccine in abundance: millions of doses reach their expiry date in June
A total of around 172.4 million doses of corona vaccines have been vaccinated in Germany so far, according to data from the COVID-19 vaccination dashboard.
76 percent of the population is basic immunized.
Most recently, however, the vaccination rate had fallen sharply, to 237,000 vaccinations in the past week.
The most vaccinations to date were carried out on December 15, 2021 with a total of 1.7 million doses.
According to the WamS
calculation, at the current slow pace
, only around six million cans would be needed by the end of September.
Of the stored cans, however, at least eleven million cans would reach their expiry date by the end of June.
Another 57 million will expire in the third quarter, according to the government's response to the Union's request.
CDU health politician Sorge accuses Lauterbach of "shopping frenzy".
The CDU health politician Tino Sorge therefore criticized the Federal Health Minister Lauterbach 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 play a role for him," said Sorge.
He acts true to the motto: "A lot helps a lot." He demanded information about the costs that the federal government incurs as a result.
In December, Lauterbach spoke of a vaccine shortage and ordered 80 million doses of Biontech and ten million doses of Moderna.
In the end it was even 123.4 million, according to
WamS.
Corona vaccine doses in stock: Ukraine refugees as possible buyers
In view of the failed vaccination requirement for everyone over 60 years of age, the supply of vaccine doses should not be reduced too quickly in the near future.
Karl Lauterbach cannot understand why there is hardly any demand for the Novavax vaccine.
He blames social media.
However, the federal government is likely to see increased demand due to the Ukraine crisis.
Lauterbach was concerned about the possible "huge vaccination gaps" of refugees from Ukraine.
The government told the
WamS
that the projected need for refugees is being forecast "on the basis of historical vaccination numbers in different scenarios" and action is being taken accordingly.
(AFP/ale)