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Federal Minister of Health Lauterbach: "A message for every age"
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Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert / dpa
Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach calls for clarity regarding a fourth corona vaccination for younger people.
»Of course the younger ones also want to know what they should do now.
We now need clear recommendations for all age groups," said the SPD politician to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
"We shouldn't just say what the over 70s should do," says Lauterbach.
The federal government must also have an answer for 40-year-olds, for example.
'Shouldn't he be vaccinated?
Or only in exceptional cases, for example if there are a lot of contacts at work?
Or only if the family doctor recommends it?” You need “a message for every age.” At the latest when the new vaccines adapted to the omicron variant are available, “there should be clear messages for those under 60 too”.
Infection Protection Act: Exceptions for newly vaccinated people
Lauterbach's statements come just a few days after he and his cabinet colleague Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann presented their draft for the new Infection Protection Act.
The draft provides for a mask requirement at leisure or sporting events and when visiting bars, clubs and restaurants.
Vaccinated people should be exempt from this obligation – as long as their vaccination is not older than three months.
However, this is likely to be difficult to achieve for younger people: The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) currently only recommends a fourth corona vaccination for people over the age of 70 and some risk groups.
Leading EU authorities had advocated a second booster vaccination for everyone over 60.
Lauterbach, on the other hand, had campaigned for four vaccinations on a broader front, including among people under the age of 60, after consulting the doctor.
In view of the criticism of these inconsistent statements, the goal was set in July to better coordinate communication on corona vaccinations.
Lauterbach and Stiko boss Thomas Mertens agreed to set up a pandemic working group within Stiko.
This should ensure continuous communication with the ministry as early as the phase of discussion and advice on a new vaccination recommendation.
jlk/dpa
