Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Lafontaine vs. Herrmann
Politicians continue to argue about Kimmich
The Joshua Kimmich case does not let go of politics. Bavaria’s Minister of the Interior, Herrmann, advocates vaccination and calls on athletes to “lead by example”. Ex-SPD politician Lafontaine, on the other hand, supports Kimmich and fires against the STIKO. Bayern coach Nagelsmann also reports.
Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann spoke out in favor of a corona vaccination in the debate about national soccer player Joshua Kimmich. “From my point of view, it is still the only right thing to get vaccinated. All reports from the hospitals show that,” said the CSU politician during the presentation of the European Championships 2022 in Munich.
Herrmann sees footballers like Bayern professional Kimmich as responsible. “Athletes should set a good example and say: ‘I’ll get a vaccination'”, explained Herrmann: “This also applies to most of the athletes I know.”
The former SPD politician Oskar Lafontaine held against it. On Monday evening he wrote on Facebook that Kimmich was “not only an excellent footballer”, “he can also think more clearly than some of the so-called experts”. Lafontaine then attacked the head of the Paul Ehrlich Institute, Klaus Cichutek, and the chairman of the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO), Thomas Mertens. Both had invalidated Kimmich’s concerns about the so-called “long-term consequences” of the vaccination, because scientific studies have shown that there are no side effects occurring late after vaccination. Lafontaine does not believe that, according to his post, and the attacks on Kimmich showed “the state of German expertise”.
At the cup hit on Wednesday (8.45 p.m. / ARD and in the live ticker on ntv.de.) Kimmich will be there, while his trainer is still missing. “I’m fine,” assured Julian Nagelsmann with a slightly husky voice from the corona isolation. His most recent test “was not yet ready for me to get out”. It remains to be seen when this will be the case. “If the virus wants to stay in there for two more weeks, I’ll hang around here even longer,” said the coach from the kitchen at home.
It was from there that he recently “wrote” with Kimmich, as Nagelsmann reported. He made it clear once again that he advises vaccination. “I notice how symptoms progress when you are vaccinated. And I know from certain clinical circles how it can be the other way around if you are not vaccinated,” said the trainer. But not only Nagelsmann would welcome “when there is a little peace and quiet”, because a vaccination is a “personal issue. And everyone can decide for themselves as an adult.”