“Now we have to expect a fifth wave.” German health minister, Karl Lauterbach, has warned the country about the Omicron variant, “unstoppable and uncontrollable without vaccinations,” he said during a press conference the day after the announcement of the Christmas restrictions. Berlin is now focusing on the recall of the vaccine, but is already looking at the fourth immunization: in addition to the 30 million booster vaccinations scheduled by the end of the year from mid-November, another 30 million will be added by the end of January. And this, according to the German authorities, could “powerfully” slow down the spread of the virus.
Lauterbach pointed out that the third booster vaccination protected well over 90% of those immunized from the severe effects of the virus, and 70-80% from symptoms in general. It is the “most important brick in the fight against the Omicron wave,” he explained. So far, in Germany, 27 million people (32%) have received the booster, the vaccination rate with two doses is 70%.
However, the minister also raised another alarm, answering a question from journalists: how long does the enhanced vaccination protection against Omicron last? “We don’t know,” Lauterbach said. It may not be that lasting. This is why Berlin has “purchased a specific Omicron vaccine from Biontech, for a total of 80 million doses. We expect this from April or May”, he continued.
A fourth dose may therefore be needed, probably from spring. “Without mandatory vaccination, I cannot see permanent management of the new waves that will occur. Therefore, I was also pleased that the German Ethics Council is fundamentally in favor of looking into mandatory vaccinations.” The new Chancellor Olaf Scholz, already in recent weeks, had expressed himself in favor of the introduction of immunization for all.
“The Christmas holidays must not become the spark that sets off the wave of the omicron variant.” The president of the Robert Koch Institut said this at a press conference. Even though the numbers of contagion currently in Germany are dropping, this is no reason for relaxation, “the incidence is still too high, many hospitals are still on the edge,” explained Wieler. In view of the spread of the new variant that could become dominant in a few weeks also in the Federal Republic, the president of Koch added: We must also take into account a wave of infections that we have not yet seen before. “Lauterbach does not rule out a lockdown. after Christmas: “There are no red lines”.