Vaccination Alone Cannot Stop COVID-19: German Health Minister

A third wave of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections has hit
Germany and it will not be stopped by vaccinations alone, the
German Health Minister, Jens Spahn, said on Friday.

Speaking ahead of a summit between Germany’s federal and state
governments about the vaccination drive, Mr. Spahn said that “there
are not yet enough vaccine doses in Europe to stop the third wave
by vaccination alone.”

“Even if the deliveries from EU orders come reliably, it will
still take a few weeks until the risk groups are fully vaccinated,”
he said.

He further said that the increasing number of new infections
meant that Germany could go back into a hard lockdown.

Experts also said that Germany has already entered its third
wave of infections, with its caseload – especially cases of the
more contagious British coronavirus variant – on the rise
again.

The number of new infections per 100,000 residents during the
course of seven days rose to 95.6 on Thursday, having stood at 90
the day before, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for
disease control.

When the metric reaches 100, Germany is expected to return to a
hard lockdown.

Hamburg authorities have already decided to reverse their recent
loosening of coronavirus containment measures, after the
city-state’s seven-day incidence rate soared above 100.

Mayor Peter Tschentscher confirmed the move, saying that the
city had recorded 100 cases per 100,000 residents during a
seven-day period for three days in a row.

The number of new coronavirus infections in Germany is rising
“exponentially,” according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for
disease control.

“The infection process is gaining momentum,” RKI vice president
Lars Schaade said.

The rapid spread of the more contagious coronavirus variant
first discovered in Britain meant that “unfortunately, there are
difficult weeks ahead,” he said, urging the public to self-isolate
over the upcoming Easter holiday to the greatest extent
possible.

Friday’s talks between the federal and state governments are
taking place a day after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) deemed
the AstraZeneca jab safe.

The talks are expected to center on Germany’s vaccination
campaign – which has been widely criticised for its slow pace – and
the involvement of general practitioners in the inoculation
effort.

The AstraZeneca jab is important in this regard because it does
not need to be stored at extremely low temperatures like
counterparts from other pharmaceutical companies.

Administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine resumes across Germany
on Friday, but authorities have issued a warning for women under
the age of 55 that it may be associated with a risk of cerebral
blood clots.

One topic to be discussed on Friday is the possibility of
involving general practitioners in the vaccination drive.

So far, most jabs have been delivered in special facilities.

Participants in the vaccine summit will also discuss the
shortage of vaccine doses that has plagued Germany’s inoculation
effort in recent weeks.

In the second quarter, 40.2 million doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer
vaccine are expected to enter circulation.

Some 6.4 million doses of the Moderna jab are also expected to
arrive during that time.

In addition, delivery of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which
only requires a single jab, is expected to begin in the second half
of April. (dpa/NAN)

A third wave of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections has hit
Germany and it will not be stopped by vaccinations alone, the
German Health Minister, Jens Spahn, said on Friday.

Speaking ahead of a summit between Germany’s federal and state
governments about the vaccination drive, Mr. Spahn said that “there
are not yet enough vaccine doses in Europe to stop the third wave
by vaccination alone.”

“Even if the deliveries from EU orders come reliably, it will
still take a few weeks until the risk groups are fully vaccinated,”
he said.

He further said that the increasing number of new infections
meant that Germany could go back into a hard lockdown.

Experts also said that Germany has already entered its third
wave of infections, with its caseload – especially cases of the
more contagious British coronavirus variant – on the rise
again.

The number of new infections per 100,000 residents during the
course of seven days rose to 95.6 on Thursday, having stood at 90
the day before, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for
disease control.

When the metric reaches 100, Germany is expected to return to a
hard lockdown.

Hamburg authorities have already decided to reverse their recent
loosening of coronavirus containment measures, after the
city-state’s seven-day incidence rate soared above 100.

Mayor Peter Tschentscher confirmed the move, saying that the
city had recorded 100 cases per 100,000 residents during a
seven-day period for three days in a row.

The number of new coronavirus infections in Germany is rising
“exponentially,” according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for
disease control.

“The infection process is gaining momentum,” RKI vice president
Lars Schaade said.

The rapid spread of the more contagious coronavirus variant
first discovered in Britain meant that “unfortunately, there are
difficult weeks ahead,” he said, urging the public to self-isolate
over the upcoming Easter holiday to the greatest extent
possible.

Friday’s talks between the federal and state governments are
taking place a day after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) deemed
the AstraZeneca jab safe.

The talks are expected to center on Germany’s vaccination
campaign – which has been widely criticised for its slow pace – and
the involvement of general practitioners in the inoculation
effort.

The AstraZeneca jab is important in this regard because it does
not need to be stored at extremely low temperatures like
counterparts from other pharmaceutical companies.

Administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine resumes across Germany
on Friday, but authorities have issued a warning for women under
the age of 55 that it may be associated with a risk of cerebral
blood clots.

One topic to be discussed on Friday is the possibility of
involving general practitioners in the vaccination drive.

So far, most jabs have been delivered in special facilities.

Participants in the vaccine summit will also discuss the
shortage of vaccine doses that has plagued Germany’s inoculation
effort in recent weeks.

In the second quarter, 40.2 million doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer
vaccine are expected to enter circulation.

Some 6.4 million doses of the Moderna jab are also expected to
arrive during that time.

In addition, delivery of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which
only requires a single jab, is expected to begin in the second half
of April. (dpa/NAN)