Germany’s COVID-19 vaccination plan aims to protect the most vulnerable first

BERLIN, Dec 19 (Xinhua) – German Health Minister Jens Spahn on Friday announced a detailed plan for the country’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, saying his first goal is to protect the most vulnerable.

All citizens over 80 years as well as residents and staff of nursing homes would be among the first to receive the vaccine, Spahn said at a news conference.

As the first risk group vaccine would take at least a month or two before the vaccination program in Germany could be extended, Spahn urged the German public to be patient.

“This means we all have a long winter ahead of us. We have to live with this virus for a long time,” Spahn said.

The coronavirus vaccine issued by German pharmaceutical company BioNTech and US company Pfizer is expected to be approved by the European Pharmaceutical Agency next week. If approved before Christmas, vaccinations in Germany could begin on December 27, according to the German government.

Spahn has repeatedly insisted that there would not be enough vaccines in the first place, so priority must be given. Spahn plans to sign a corresponding vaccine order Friday that would be ordered for vaccination in Germany.

By the end of January, 3 to 4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses would be available across Germany, according to the Ministry of Health (BMG).

The doses would be distributed to the federal states according to their share of the population. For the entire first quarter, the BMG expects to deliver 11 to 13 million vaccine doses in Germany. Enditem

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