Corona current
Vaccination prioritization could become superfluous in May
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Statutory health insurance physicians expect that they can start vaccinating adults as early as May, regardless of the risk group. What are the reasons for this?
There is finally some good news in the long vaccination chaos: The statutory health insurance physicians expect to be able to revoke the set prioritization of the COVID-19 vaccinations as early as May. That would mean that adults far away from the risk groups could also receive their first vaccination.
Specialists will soon be vaccinating too
There are two reasons: On the one hand, the specialists start vaccinations in May. Andreas Gassen, Chairman of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), told the FAZ: “In May, in addition to the general practitioners, the specialists are gradually on board, and we will vaccinate more and more healthy people and other people outside of the currently eligible groups.” And further: “I expect that the prioritization regulations will gradually fall in May and that every adult will be able to receive a vaccination from then on.”
So far, around 16 million people from the risk groups with the highest priority have been vaccinated for the first time, around five million of them have already received the second vaccination and are therefore considered immune to the coronavirus. Gassen expects that the vaccination centers and medical practices will have a good 4 to 4.5 vaccine doses available per week in May. The prioritized groups of people were vaccinated so soon that the vaccinations could be open to all adults in a timely manner.
More vaccination doses are to be delivered
The second reason for Gassen’s confident assessment is a surprising announcement by Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU). According to this, almost 2.1 million vaccine doses are to be delivered to the practices in the coming last week of April. That is not only generally almost 1.1 million more than in the last few weeks, but also 570,000 more than originally planned. The background to this is the announcement by the manufacturer Biontech / Pfizer that it will make a good 916,000 more vaccination doses available next week. Previously it was assumed that doctors’ offices would be able to order a maximum of 30 doses of this vaccine next week, now there are around 48 doses.
Sources: faz.net