For everyone, for people over 50 or for no one? In the Bundestag, there is a whole range of opinions on mandatory vaccination against coronavirus. During the first debate, supporters and opponents of mandatory vaccination argued fiercely.
Everything must be done so that we are not overwhelmed by another wave
The Bundestag has begun deliberations on extending mandatory vaccination against coronavirus. In the first debate, SPD parliamentary group health policy spokeswoman Heike Baehrens spoke in favor of mandatory vaccination from the age of 18 and called on the Union parliamentary group in particular to join the proposal. “We need to create fundamental rules so that we are not overwhelmed by another wave of diseases,” Baehrens told the plenary.
According to her, 237 MPs from four parliamentary groups support the idea. The high vaccination rate must be achieved by autumn. The more people are protected by vaccination, the sooner it will be possible to return to social life without restrictions. A general vaccination obligation is “the real way to prevent a pandemic,” Baehrens said.
If Germany already had a vaccination rate of 90% of the population, the number of diseases would not be so high, the SPD politician explained. Germany now has the highest incidence of the disease in Europe. Addressing the EU, Baehrens appealed: “Do not wait any longer, choose the path of reason together with us!”
Union wants mandatory vaccinations but only in case of “exacerbation of the pandemic situation”
The proposal, made by a faction of the Union, now has the second largest group of support. It provides that there should be a rationale for mandatory vaccination, but that the decision to introduce it should only be made if the pandemic situation escalates. Baehrensa said that is the time. Indeed, on Thursday, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported nearly 300,000 new cases.
CDU MP Sepp Müller did not respond to Baehrens’ request, but campaigned for his own proposal. At the moment, compulsory vaccination is “dead”, it does not exist, Müller said. There is no majority for it in parliament. CDU politician Tino Sorge said there was no guarantee that compulsory vaccination would help us now because a new variant of coronavirus is likely to emerge and we do not yet know the vaccines that will be effective against it.
Following proposals from the FDP and AfD
In addition to these two initiatives, there is a proposal from a group led by FDP MP Andrew Ullmann for mandatory counselling and then possibly mandatory vaccination from the age of 50. His party colleague, Manuel Höferlin, opposed any mandatory vaccination and thus supported the initiative of FDP party vice-chairman Wolfgang Kubicki. Vaccinations protect against serious illness or death. However, it does not entail an obligation. He pointed out that Austria has now suspended the vaccination obligation introduced there previously. Anyone who prefers to wear a mask instead of being vaccinated has the right to decide so.
The AfD has also submitted a proposal. The party’s leader, Alice Weidel, called on supporters of mandatory vaccinations to withdraw their proposals. “You are riding a dead horse, you have to get off it,” – she said during the debate. The case for mandatory vaccinations was weak from the start and has since collapsed like a house of cards. “There is no legitimate and constitutionally permissible justification for introducing compulsory vaccination against Covid-19. It violates fundamental rights.
After an initial consultation in parliament, an expert deliberation is to take place next Monday. The Bundestag is expected to make a decision in early April, exceptionally without taking into account the specifications of parliamentary groups.
Source: www.tagesschau.de, www.insidegermany.co