After a temporary lull, a new wave of corona infections has been rolling through the country since mid-September. Adapted vaccines for booster vaccinations are available from general practitioners and vaccination centres. However, demand is increasing only slowly.
Schwerin (dpa/mv) – With the number of corona infections increasing again, there is a slight increase in the willingness in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to protect themselves against serious illnesses with vaccinations. Both the state vaccination centers and family doctors registered increases. “There is a slow increase in the demand for vaccinations in medical practices,” said Stefan Zutz, state chairman of the general practitioners’ association. In the country’s vaccination centers, which open once to three times a week for vaccinations, the slight increase in numbers continued.
According to the Ministry of Health, almost 7,100 injections were given there in the first week of October, a good 2,700 more than three weeks earlier. About 6,000 of these vaccinations were carried out with the Omicron-adapted vaccines, which are only used for so-called booster vaccinations. Initial vaccinations are the exception, as is the case with general practitioners.
Overall, however, the number of vaccinations remains comparatively low. During the nationwide vaccination week in early December 2021, around 120,000 vaccine doses were administered. Against this background, Zutz questioned the need for the expensive vaccination centers: “We family doctors can ensure all vaccinations, both against corona and against flu. We don’t need anyone to help us.”
At the beginning of September, with a view to the new wave of infections expected for autumn, the state parliament approved the state government’s plans to provide twelve million euros from the MV protection fund for further financing of the eight vaccination centers in the districts and urban districts. Mobile teams also regularly set off from the centers for vaccination campaigns in nursing homes.
The precautions taken in these institutions are bearing fruit. “We currently only have 14 reported events with a few serious courses. This is mainly due to the good vaccination rates and high protective measures in the care sector,” emphasized Health Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD). Nowhere else is the effect of vaccinations and protective measures as evident as in nursing homes. The primary goal of the state government remains to protect the health system and critical infrastructure from overload and vulnerable population groups from serious illnesses.
In view of the growing number of infections and increased hospitalizations of corona patients, Drese renewed her appeal to use the vaccination offers. It is important that people from risk groups in particular renew their vaccination protection, if necessary with a fourth vaccination. “Vaccination remains the best protection against a severe course of the disease,” emphasized the minister. In addition, with reference to the most recent decision of the Standing Committee on Vaccination, she advised all persons over the age of twelve to have a third vaccination, preferably with an omicron-adapted mRNA vaccine.
According to the Robert Koch Institute, 74.7 percent of people in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have received two vaccinations so far. The rate of the first booster vaccination is therefore 59.9 percent. So far, 9.5 people in the northeast have received a second booster vaccination.
