Friday, August 6th, 2021
Push the stagnant campaign
Politicians are fighting for new vaccination incentives
The number of corona infections is increasing, the willingness to vaccinate is decreasing. If nothing changes, Germany may be heading for a severe fourth wave of pandemics. Therefore, concepts are desperately sought to convince those who are hesitant to get vaccinated.
Significantly increasing numbers of corona infections and sometimes slow vaccination rates are making politicians increasingly concerned. Left parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch advocates a vaccination premium of 50 euros, the head of the CSU Bundestag member, Alexander Dobrindt, recommends vaccination stations for people arriving at airports and train stations.
The topic should also occupy Chancellor Angela Merkel and the prime ministers of the federal states when they discuss measures on Tuesday to keep a fourth wave of pandemics flat. It could also be mentioned that the legal status of the epidemic situation in Germany will expire in September. CSU regional group leader Dobrindt reacted cautiously to a push by SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz for its extension. “There is no automatism to a prolongation of the epidemic situation,” said Dobrindt. “We will look closely at the infection process in the coming weeks and then decide in the Bundestag on the appropriate measures.”
To stimulate the vaccination readiness Bartsch told the newspapers of the Funke media group: “All citizens who are vaccinated could receive a city center voucher for 50 euros for restaurants or retail.” However, the vouchers should expressly not be redeemed online. “That would be an economic stimulus package of three to four billion euros for the inner cities that have suffered badly from Corona.” In Saxony, people who have been vaccinated already receive special vouchers and discounts. Dobrindt was generally in favor of increasing the number of low-threshold vaccination offers. “I propose to keep not only test stations, but also vaccination stations ready for newcomers,” he told the Funke newspapers. “At airports and train stations, non-vaccinated travelers should get a vaccination offer quickly and easily.”
New infections are increasing continuously
At around 20 per 100,000 inhabitants per week, new infections are still at a low level, but are increasing continuously and are already higher than a year ago when the severe third wave followed. According to the Robert Koch Institute, just under 54 percent of the population received the vaccinations necessary for full protection in the morning. The amount of daily doses, however, has dropped roughly to the level at the beginning of April, when vaccine deliveries got underway and the campaign took off – only that now demand is well below supply. However, all relevant politicians have ruled out compulsory vaccination.
Some also expect a growing willingness to vaccinate if the previous free tests are to be paid for in the future. Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) proposed this for mid-October for all those who do not take the opportunity to have the vaccination, although there is nothing medically against it. Dobrindt would like to wait until November with the obligation to pay, as he said. Because if you get your first vaccination in the next four weeks, you need six weeks until the second dose and another two until it is fully effective.
The chairman of the General Practitioner Association, Ulrich Weigeldt, blamed political communication for the decline in vaccination readiness. This “is no wonder and is certainly partly due to the contradicting messages from politics on individual vaccines and the campaign,” he told the “Passauer Neue Presse”. He was skeptical about the betterment of vaccinated people, as proposed by the Federal Ministry of Health as a measure in the event of an increasing number of infections. “I’m rather skeptical about that,” he said. “I think one should rather try to convince and lure people.”
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