Darrick Robles On April 6th, the first vaccinations started in general practitioners’ practices, after vaccinations had so far mainly been given in vaccination centers and old people’s homes. In addition, larger vaccine deliveries are to come, which is also driving vaccinations in Germany. The first piece of good news: according to Chancellor Merkel, the fixed vaccination sequence can be lifted by June at the latest. So we can all hope for a vaccination date from June.
How does the vaccination work in the doctor’s office?
The vaccination campaign has made great strides since the 65,000 general practitioners have been on board. The same number of people were vaccinated in the first two weeks of April as in the entire first quarter. On April 28, 1 million vaccinations were administered in one day for the first time, i.e. almost 1% of the German population was vaccinated.
You can follow the current progress of vaccinations in Germany on the vaccination dashboard of the Federal Ministry of Health .
Which vaccines are given in the practices?
The medical practices are currently receiving the vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer and AstraZeneca . The number of vaccine doses that doctors can order can vary from week to week. For the week of May 3-9, it was 36 doses of BioNTech and 50 doses of AstraZeneca per practice. The Moderna vaccine can only be vaccinated in the vaccination centers due to the special requirements during transport . In May, medical practices are to receive a delivery of Johnson & Johnson vaccines for the first time.
How do I get a vaccination appointment?
The vaccine is currently in short supply. For this reason, the order of vaccination still applies to general practitioners. For the AstraZeneca vaccine, however, the prioritization has already been lifted nationwide. This is to ensure that no remaining cans end up in the garbage.
In theory, all adults can now be vaccinated with AstraZeneca. Those who want to be vaccinated can, for example, contact the resident doctors by e-mail or call and ask about a corona vaccination. Since the rush to the vaccinating general practitioner’s practice is currently very large, those interested still have to bring a lot of patience. But since specialists also vaccinate , you can ask your gynaecologist, your dermatologist or your orthopaedist, for example.
According to Chancellor Merkel, the prioritization of vaccinations should be lifted as early as June . In the second quarter, Germany expects 80 million vaccine doses, 50 million of them from BioNTech/Pfizer alone.
What about the privately insured?
Private doctors are currently not receiving any vaccines. However, privately insured persons can also be vaccinated in the doctor’s surgeries and vaccination centers. The Covid-19 vaccination is also free for privately insured persons and is billed directly by the vaccinating panel doctors. The prerequisite for vaccination, as with all others, is that enough vaccine is available.
How are the vaccinations going?
In May, medical practices are to receive 1.6 million doses of vaccine from BioNTech/Pfizer per week. In addition, there are 1 million AstraZeneca doses per week.
From June 7th, company doctors should also vaccinate. At least 500,000 employees should then be vaccinated via the companies every week. In June, BioNTech/Pfizer is expected to deliver more than 3 million doses to medical practices and company doctors. The delivery quantity is to be steadily increased.
The Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance Physicians expects that half of those entitled to be vaccinated could have received their first vaccination by the end of May. By mid-June it could already be 75%.
Will I also be vaccinated if I have already been infected with Covid-19?
In Germany, more than 2.5 million people have survived the corona infection . They have already built up sufficient immunity against the coronavirus , which lasts for at least 5 to 6 months. The STIKO (Standing Committee on Vaccination) therefore recommends vaccinating those who have recovered no earlier than 6 months after recovery . While everyone else usually needs 2 doses of vaccine, those who have recovered only need a single dose.
If you are not sure whether you have already had a corona infection, an antibody test can provide information. There are also at-home Covid-19 antibody tests (Lykon partner link) that analyze your blood for antibodies. This allows you to find out whether you have ever been infected in the past – or whether you are in the final stages of the disease. Use code KRLY01T to get 15% off your order.
Note: As a Lykon partner, we receive a commission if you purchase a Lykon test kit via the link or our voucher code.
According to STIKO, there is no evidence that early vaccination of those who have recovered would be problematic. An antibody test would therefore not be a must. However, you should be as healthy as possible when you get vaccinated . If you have signs of a cold or fever, you should clarify with your doctor in advance whether the vaccination can still be carried out.
