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COVID-19

Germany issues almost a million Covid jabs in a day

German doctors put almost a million doses of Covid vaccine into arms on Wednesday as a wave of booster jabs breathes life back into the vaccination campaign.

Published: 2 December 2021 15:59 CET
Frauenkirche Dresden
People queue up outside the Frauenkirche in Dresden. A new survey finds the Saxon capital to be the second most impolite city in Germany. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Robert Michael

On Wednesday, a total of 987,000 people were vaccinated – with booster jabs accounting for 80 percent of the vaccine doses given out. 

After a long lull in vaccinations over summer and autumn, Germany’s inoculation drive is once again picking up pace. On Tuesday, 807,000 doses were administered. 

If the trend continues, the country could be set to cross the million mark and break its previous record of 1.4 million jabs given out in a day, which was set on June 9th, 2021.

However, the fact that the bulk of the jabs being given out are booster jabs mean the rapid progress hasn’t made a huge difference the number of general vaccination rate in Germany.

Just 95,344 first jabs and 69,005 second jabs were given out in Germany on Wednesday, compared to 822,697 booster jabs. 

Under the leadership of a new crisis team set up this week, the federal and state governments want to roll out another 30 million first, second and booster jabs by Christmas.

This would mean hitting the previous record of 1.4 million jabs in a day for the next 22 days, including at the weekends, when most doctors’ surgeries are closed.

So far, in the entirety of the Covid vaccination campaign, Germany has administered 124.4 million doses.

Following a crisis meeting on Thursday, the state and federal governments agreed to change the law to allow pharmacists and dentists to also carry out vaccinations. 

The state and federal leaders also want to see MPs vote on bringing in a general vaccination mandate from February next year. This would obligate people to get their full course of Covid jabs and regular boosters and could involve hefty fines for people who avoid them.

According to the latest data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), 68.7 percent of the population and 79.3 percent of all adults over 18 are fully jabbed in Germany – though the real figures may be higher due to underreporting from GPs.

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HEALTH

Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

It’s back again: amid sinking temperatures, the incidence of Covid-19 has been slowly rising in Germany. But is this enough to merit worrying about the virus?

Published: 20 September 2023 12:05 CEST
Updated: 20 September 2023 22:22 CEST
Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

More people donning face masks in supermarkets, friends cancelling plans last minute due to getting sick with Covid-19. We might have seen some of those familiar reminders recently that the coronavirus is still around, but could there really be a resurgence of the virus like we experienced during the pandemic years?

According to virologists, the answer seems to be ‘maybe’: since July, the number of people newly infected with Covid-19 has been slowly rising from a very low level.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), nine people per 100,000 inhabitants became newly infected in Germany last week. A year ago, there were only around 270 reported cases.

Various Corona variants are currently on the loose in the country. According to the RKI,  the EG.5 (also called Eris) and XBB.1.16 lines were each detected in the week ending September 3rd with a share of just under 23 percent. 

The highly mutated variant BA.2.86 (Pirola), which is currently under observation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), also arrived in the country this week, according to RKI. 

High number of unreported case

The RKI epidemiologists also warned about a high number of unreported cases since hardly any testing is done. They pointed out that almost half of all registered sewage treatment plants report an increasing viral load in wastewater tests.

The number of hospital admissions has also increased slightly, but are still a far cry from the occupation rate amid the pandemic. Last week it was two per 100,000 inhabitants. In the intensive care units, only 1.2 percent of all beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.

Still, a good three-quarters (76.4 percent) of people in Germany have been vaccinated at least twice and thus have basic immunity, reported RKI. 

Since Monday, doctors’ offices have been vaccinating with the adapted vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer, available to anyone over 12 years old, with a vaccine for small children set to be released the following week and one for those between 5 and 11 to come out October 2nd.

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has so far only recommended that people over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions get vaccinated.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Who should get a Covid jab this autumn in Germany?

“The pandemic is over, the virus remains,” he said. “We cannot predict the course of coming waves of corona, but it is clear that older people and people with pre-existing conditions remain at higher risk of becoming severely ill from Covid-19”

The RKI also recommended that people with a cold voluntarily wear a mask. Anyone exhibiting cough, cold, sore throat or other symptoms of a respiratory illness should voluntarily stay at home for three to five days and take regular corona self-tests. 

However, further measures such as contact restrictions are not necessary, he said.

One of many diseases

As of this autumn, Covid-19 could be one of many respiratory diseases. As with influenza, there are no longer absolute infection figures for coronavirus.

Saarbrücken pharmacist Thorsten Lehr told German broadcaster ZDF that self-protection through vaccinations, wearing a mask and getting tested when symptoms appear are prerequisites for surviving the Covid autumn well. 

Only a new, more aggressive mutation could completely turn the game around, he added.

On April 7th of this year, Germany removed the last of its over two-year long coronavirus restrictions, including mask-wearing in some public places.

READ ALSO: German doctors recommend Covid-19 self-tests amid new variant

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