Germany towards compulsory vaccination of the population

So far there is a lot of talk that coronavirus vaccination will become mandatory in Germany. This was also outlined on Wednesday (January 26) in the passionate debate over three hours of members of the federal parliament, the Bundestag. What seems really controversial is only the age group from which citizens will be forced to be vaccinated.

Officially under discussion are the following variants: compulsory vaccination for over 18 years old, compulsory vaccination for over 50 year olds; a compulsory vaccination counseling talk; waiving the obligation to vaccinate.

The largest parliamentary groups, also represented in government, the Social Democrats and the Greens, support a mandatory vaccination. This makes the adoption of one of the variants of the draft law on compulsory vaccination very likely. Of the parliamentary groups represented in government, the undecided are mainly FDP liberals.

The Bundestag called the debate an “orientation debate”. This is because the topic of compulsory vaccination is a very polarizing topic in Germany. The federal government even dropped its submission to the Bundestag on this topic, as it usually does. The initiative was left to the representatives of the people, the deputies of the Bundestag.

The cautious attitude of the government was argued on the public channel ZDF by the Minister of Health of Germany, Karl Lauterbach. He said that “this is a decision of conscience”, it is a “moral issue”. “Basic rights are confronted here.”

Authorities in Germany have stated that protecting the health of other persons or even the community, in order to avoid the risks of epidemics, justifies interfering with a person’s physical inviolability when the interference is proportionate.

This was said in December 2021, when compulsory vaccination was introduced in Germany for certain professions, such as medical and sanitary personnel. The existing federal anti-infection law was then adapted. The obligation for vaccination for these professions will enter into force on March 16 this year. Until this date, health personnel have time to be vaccinated voluntarily.

The reasons why Germany is moving towards compulsory vaccination

In Germany it is agreed that the best possible preconditions for dealing with the pandemic are created when the population is vaccinated several times. Even if vaccine protection is not absolute.

Further, authorities say vaccination in Germany is not progressing fast enough to protect the population from a new wave of pandemics in the fall and new variants of the coronavirus. The vaccination rate is lower than in some European countries.

In Germany 73.8% of the population have been vaccinated twice (75.7% have been vaccinated once, 27.01.). According to the Robert Koch Institute, only 51.1 percent have been vaccinated for the third time. Three million people in Germany are completely unvaccinated.

For comparison: in Italy 75.9 percent of the population have been vaccinated twice (82.7% have been vaccinated once, 27.01.). In France 76.1 percent of the population have been vaccinated twice (79.6% once, 26.01.). (Source: Our World in Data, Robert-Koch-Institute).

It is known that every unvaccinated person infects not only themselves but also others with coronavirus. Currently, the number of Covid-19 infected people ending up in hospitals in Germany is increasing every day. This increase is gradually overloading hospitals, which are forced to shift the treatment of other diseases. A further aggravation of the situation would further reduce the capacity for cure, putting doctors in front of the triage dilemma: to treat that patient with Covid-19 who is more likely to survive.

Another factor, why vaccination is intended to be done compulsorily is the economic factor. Vaccinated people have the opportunity to participate with little risk in the economic and social activity of the country. Thus the authorities should not restrict public economic life, with consequences for all.

Exciting discussions by MPs

The topic of measures for coronavirus is associated almost everywhere in the world with emotional notes. Many people know someone, a family member or an acquaintance, who has suffered from coronavirus. Even in Germany, discussions about the masses are often confrontations of emotions rather than exchanges of arguments, as absolute clarity has no argument.

In the Bundestag, it was noticed that the deputies tried to present their position with maximum emotional power. Some talked about people in the family who had died from coronavirus. Following another discussion in mid-February, the decision on whether or not there will be mandatory vaccination in Germany will be taken in mid-March.

This haste also has a psychological background: when people hear that they have no alternative and that one day they will have to be vaccinated compulsorily, they are vaccinated voluntarily.

In fact, the majority of Germans, 69% of them, support the introduction of compulsory vaccination. So they said in a November 2021 poll by the Yougov Institute.

Lifting restrictions in the face of compulsory vaccination

Coronary measures, in different states, are taken based on the assessment of political facts. For some European countries, such as the United Kingdom and Denmark, the pandemic seems to be over.

In Denmark over 81.2 percent of the population have been vaccinated twice (83.3% once, 26.01.). Denmark announces end to restrictive measures.

The UK did the same. For this country different figures are given for the number of people vaccinated twice: Our World in Data and the Robert-Koch-Institute speak of 70.8 percent, vaccinated twice there (76.6% have been vaccinated once, 26.01.) ; 80 percent have been vaccinated twice, say some British media. The fact is that in Britain the number of patients in hospitals is declining.

Germany has the second largest population in Europe in terms of aging, and the peak number of infections with the Omikron variant of the coronavirus is expected to be reached in mid-February.

Other countries, with similar vaccination quotas as Germany, such as Austria (74.3% twice vaccinated, 74.5% once vaccinated, 26.01.), Have approved compulsory vaccination. In Austria, from Tuesday (01.02.) There will be compulsory vaccination for citizens over 18 years old.

Italy has also approved compulsory vaccination for over 50 year olds. France, on the other hand, will turn the “health card” with which it enters, among other things, bars and restaurants, into a “vaccination card”. This means that without vaccination you will not be able to attend these public places./DW

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