BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – After a decision on the approval of the corona vaccine, the head of the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag expects vaccinations to start before Christmas. “If the vaccine is there and the vaccination centers are prepared accordingly, I assume that local responsibility will also start vaccinating,” said Union faction leader Ralph Brinkhaus (CDU) on Tuesday in Berlin before a virtual meeting of the Union faction. “You shouldn’t wait after approval.”
The decision about the start of vaccination and the question of whether vaccinations should also be carried out during the holidays, for example in old people’s and nursing homes, would have to be made by local authorities, said Brinkhaus. CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt emphasized that vaccination would begin in old people’s and nursing homes. They worked around the clock, including at Christmas, just like the medical staff. “You don’t have to have any doubts: Everything that is humanly possible will be implemented. Of course, also on public holidays.”
The corona vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech could also be approved in the EU before Christmas. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) intends to submit its report on the approval of the vaccine to pharmaceutical companies from the USA and Mainz on December 21, the agency announced in Amsterdam. That’s eight days ahead of schedule. It is almost certain that the EMA will give the green light.
Brinkhaus said the EMA’s announcement was optimistic. When asked whether the approval process was going too slowly, he said it was good that the vaccine was being carefully tested. It is owed to the population “that the vaccine is now not approved in a fast-track process, but after careful examination.” Dobrindt emphasized that with the imminent approval of the vaccines “there is a prospect that we can talk about normalcy in life again”.
According to Brinkhaus, there will be a so-called agreed debate on vaccination in the Bundestag this Wednesday./bk/tr/DP/eas