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BERLIN (Reuters) – German Health Minister Jens Spahn urged the country to be patient on the long road to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic as it responded to criticism of the slow deployment of a vaccine.
Germany, strictly on hold to curb a second wave, was on track to vaccinate anyone who wants it by the end of the year, or sooner if other vaccines are approved, he said .
“Things are improving step by step, now more than 500,000 people have received the vaccine,” Spahn told an online question and answer webinar with doctors.
Germany will receive some 12 million doses of Moderna and BioNTech / Pfizer by the end of March, he said, adding that this would increase in the second and third quarters.
“If the approvals we are waiting for come true for vaccines developed by AstraZeneca, CureVac or Johnson & Johnson, then in the summer Germany will be able to offer everyone a vaccine,” he said, reiterating previous predictions.
“We need patience. We have started the road, but a long road awaits us, ”he added.
The media and some healthcare professionals criticized the government for delays in rolling out vaccines compared to other countries, including Britain and Israel, and for ordering too few doses.
The president of the Ifo Economic Institute, Clemens Fuest, said the government should do more.
“The state should help manufacturers quickly build their capacity by speeding up approvals but also financially,” he said. “He should offer drug companies bonuses to deliver the vaccine faster. Or take guarantees. “
Chancellor Angela Merkel also addressed the concerns in her weekly podcast, saying the pace of vaccinations would increase.
Germany recorded 24,694 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the total to 1.89 million, according to the Robert Koch Institute. The death toll is nearly 40,000.
Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Edited by Mike Harrison
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