COVID: Angela Merkel says no plans for mandatory vaccines in Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Health Minister Jens Spahn used a visit to the government’s agency for disease control and prevention, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), on Tuesday to urge the public to get vaccinated.

But the chancellor also said there are currently no plans to make the jab compulsory. The comments came a day after France made vaccines mandatory for all health workers.

‘No-one is protected alone’

Merkel said “We are still a long way off” to meet the vaccine quota needed to stop new aggressive variants.

Still, Merkel stressed that COVID jabs will remain voluntary in Germany, adding that this could break people’s trust.

 “We do not intend to go down this road,” the chancellor said. “There will be no compulsory vaccination.”

Merkel said the number of people vaccinated needed to reach 85% among the 12 to 59 age group and 90% among over the 60s, to stop the virus spreading and combat against new variants.

Despite a slow start, about 43% of the nation’s population is now fully vaccinated.

Merkel used the opportunity to promote the vaccine, saying that “no-one is protected alone.” She called on people in the country to talk about getting the vaccine to their loved ones as well as in clubs, groups and the workplace.

“The more vaccinated, the freer we will be again, the freer we can live again,” she added.

Spahn, meanwhile, said that it was no longer a valid excuse to claim there were no vaccine appointments available. He pointed to a large number of vaccines that were now on offer in the country.

Merkel said that the social distancing rules will continue as will the comprehensive testing program.

While the signs were positive, the pandemic was not yet over, Merkel added.

Cases in Germany ticking up

Merkel made the comments as the RKI reported the country’s seven-day incidence rate has increased up to 6.5 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants.

Merkel listened to the latest information on coronavirus variants from infections disease experts at the Berlin-based Robert Koch Institute

Despite being well below a peak of 195 per 100,000 in December 2020, the figure represents a concerning increase from the low of 4.9 one week earlier.

The more contagious delta variant is thought to be behind more than 50% of active cases in the country.

Other key points from the RKI visit

During the visit to the Berlin-based agency, Merkel listened as officials discussed their current tasks, plans and challenges in relation to the delta variant.

Merkel discussed plans to include the number of COVID-19 hospital admissions when assessing the nationwide state of the pandemic.

The seven-day incidence has been the decisive metric up to now.

Merkel said that the seven-day incidence remained important but that the association between the incidence number and hospital admissions had changed. This is because the number of people infected with coronavirus who go one to experience a serious COVID infection is expected to fall as a result of the ongoing vaccination campaign.

In addition to providing protection from the virus, vaccinated people also are less likely to experience a severe illness than those who are unvaccinated.

What do we know about the delta variant?

The exact functions of the delta mutations have not yet been fully scientifically researched.

So far, however, it is known that they allow the virus to bind more easily to human cells and avoid some immune reactions, Deepti Gurdasani, a clinical epidemiologist at the Queen Mary University of London, told DW.

The delta variant itself has several mutations.

Peggy Riese, a scientist at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research in Braunschweig, Germany, says it has also been found that the delta mutation leads to a higher viral load, for example, in the throat.

European countries also report a rise in new infections in part driven by the variant, sparking fears of a European “delta wave.”

kmm/rs (dpa, AFP)

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/covid-angela-merkel-says-no-plans-for-mandatory-vaccines-in-germany/a-58250471?maca=en-rss-en-ger-1023-xml-atom