German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has rejected a possible new attempt to introduce mandatory corona vaccination. “There is no legislative majority in the Bundestag for mandatory vaccination,” he said. This is now the “starting point for our actions”, no matter how much he regrets it.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) now wants to start a new vaccination campaign. “We need to re-focus a really effective vaccination campaign on those who have not yet been vaccinated but are basically ready,” Lauterbach told Deutschlandfunk on Friday.
You know there is such a group, especially people with a migrant background. “They have to be reached, we must not give up. Besides, we also have to advertise more creatively. We are now preparing something.”
Bundestag voted against compulsory vaccination from 60 years
The Bundestag had voted against compulsory vaccination from the age of 60 on Thursday. Lauterbach therefore sees no possibility of further relaxation. “We have now made the easing that can be done, but we have reached the end of the road,” he said. “If we had managed to make vaccination compulsory, there would have been much more room for relaxation in the autumn. Now I see that the Infection Protection Act will probably have to be amended again early in the autumn.”
He was “of course disappointed that there was no majority today, I don’t want to hide that at all,” Chancellor Scholz said. “I am still convinced that it would be good if we had a vaccination certificate in Germany.” However, with the decision of the Bundestag a “very clear statement from the legislator” has been made. “We will do everything we can to convince even more citizens of this country to get vaccinated,” Scholz said. That will “claim our creativity”.
The obligation to vaccinate from the age of 60 was mainly supported by MPs from the SPD and the Greens, including Scholz and Lauterbach themselves at the time, in order to still achieve the mandatory vaccination.”
Scholz sees it clearly differently. He finds the decision of the Bundestag “very clear”, according to the chancellor. “And it wouldn’t be very democratic to pretend this was an accident or something.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
