"Just for info, Mr. Gassen" - Lauterbach slaps the head of the panel doctors publicly
Created: 07/24/2022, 17:57
By: Bettina Menzel
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach in February this year together with Andreas Gassen, the head of statutory health insurance physicians (left) at a press conference.
Lauterbach is currently annoyed by a statement by Gassen.
© picture alliance/dpa |
Kay Nietfeld
Karl Lauterbach is annoyed by the vaccination and quarantine statements made by the head of the panel doctor.
The two doctors go public in the clinch.
Berlin – A public dispute has broken out between Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) about the right strategy in the fight against the corona virus.
There is disagreement about the vaccination strategy and the quarantine obligation.
The epidemiologist Lauterbach was annoyed at the statements by the head of the statutory health insurance physicians, Andreas Gassen, and described them as "not helpful".
Kassenärzte boss Gassen does not want to be vaccinated again in the fall
KBV boss Gassen had accused the Minister of Health of a wrong vaccination strategy last week.
The main issue was the order quantity of the corona vaccine.
Gassen told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung
that he considered the federal government's goal of 50 to 60 million vaccinations to be unrealistic
.
If Lauterbach ordered more than 200 million doses, as reported by the media, "it is to be expected that vaccines worth possibly a hundred million euros or more will have to be thrown away".
The 60-year-old added that he himself had no plans to be vaccinated a fourth time in the fall.
He is also in favor of lifting all corona isolation and quarantine requirements.
Anyone who is sick should stay at home.
And if you feel healthy, you should go to work, the trauma surgeon and orthopedist suggested.
In the past, Gassen had already received some criticism from the medical profession for controversial statements - for example on "Freedom Day" in Germany.
In September last year, Gassen called for Great Britain to be taken as an example and all restrictions to be lifted.
Patient advocate Eugen Brysch criticized at the time that the associations of statutory health insurance physicians were "always ready for a headline".
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Karl Lauterbach rejects statements by the head of the statutory health insurance physicians: "Not helpful"
Lauterbach, apparently annoyed, has now also taken note of Gassen's statements.
"Just for information, dear Mr. Gassen: I never said that we would have to vaccinate 60 million people in autumn," he wrote on Twitter on Saturday.
"It is also not helpful if an important medical official emphasizes that he will not be vaccinated in the autumn.
That doesn't create trust," said the Federal Health Minister.
Lauterbach told the editorial network Germany (RND)
on Sunday
that he thought it would be problematic if the impression was given that vaccination for older people was not necessary in the fall .
At least for those over 60, it is undisputed that the booster injection is important “to prevent serious illnesses or even deaths”.
He expects a medical official to “make that clear”.
Fourth vaccination: for whom is it useful?
The Standing Vaccination Committee (STIKO) currently recommends the fourth vaccination for those with previous illnesses, residents of nursing facilities, nursing staff and people over 70 years of age (as of July 24, 2022).
The EU health authority ECDC and the EU medicines authority EMA are already advising people over 60 to get a second corona booster vaccination.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach also supports the EU recommendation: "Waiting for adapted vaccines takes too long and is too risky," said the SPD politician.
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Karl Lauterbach explains the reason for high corona order quantities
Lauterbach rejected the fact that too much vaccine had been ordered.
"Apparently Mr. Gassen already knows which vaccine is needed and preferred in the fall," says Lauterbach ironically.
In fact, this is not known.
The government ordered several vaccines at the same time: They bought it in such a way that “we can definitely offer everyone the vaccine that will be the best.”
The SPD politician also has a clear opinion on the abolition of the quarantine obligation - as proposed by Gassen.
"Infected people have to stay at home," Lauterbach replied on Twitter.
"Otherwise, not only will the number of cases increase even more, but the workplace itself will become a safety risk." The Federal Minister of Health received support from the President of the World Medical Association, Frank Ulrich Montgomery.
From a medical point of view, the lifting of quarantine rules for labor market reasons is not justifiable, according to the World Medical Director.
In the midst of the dispute between the two doctors, however, there is also good news on the subject of corona: around 90 percent of people in Germany already have antibodies - mostly due to the vaccination.
A study also shows how well the vaccination protects: The “piek” against the corona virus saved 20 million lives worldwide in the first year.
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bm
)
