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Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD)
Photo: IMAGO/Political Moments
The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) has not yet recommended a fourth vaccination for all age groups, but Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) is demanding exactly that with a view to the Corona autumn. Now several politicians have sharply criticized him for his initiative.
"I think Mr. Lauterbach's pushing is out of place here," said the health policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Andrew Ullmann, of the "world".
Politics should not interfere in science and the work of the Stiko.
"I call that state medicine, which is mostly scientifically exempt," Ullmann continued.
The independent Stiko enjoys great trust from the medical profession and the population and should not be questioned.
The health policy spokesman for the Union faction, Tino Sorge (CDU), also told the “Welt” that Lauterbach was “consciously putting the Stiko under public political pressure through the media”.
"It doesn't have much to do with science anymore." Lauterbach is hoping for a vaccination recommendation from Stiko that agrees with his personal opinion.
The health policy spokeswoman for the left-wing faction, Kathrin Vogler, expressed similar criticism: "It cannot be the task of the health minister - no matter how high his scientific expertise may be - to counteract the recommendations of the responsible scientific committee."
Lauterbach recently advertised a fourth corona vaccination for people under the age of 60.
So far, the Stiko only recommends a fourth corona vaccination for people over the age of 70 and risk groups.
The EU recommends a second booster vaccination for people aged 60 and over.
In an interview with the newspapers of the Funke media group, the Minister of Health had therefore called for clear vaccination recommendations for all age groups.
"We shouldn't just say what the over 70s should do.
We must also have an answer for the 40-year-old.«
mrc/AFP
