Stiko boss: Actionism in vaccination debate not helpful
The head of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko), Thomas Mertens, has accused politicians of being active in the vaccination debate. “The actionism in politics certainly does not contribute to calming the people,” said Mertens of the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. “I don’t really know why this is being done. For the public’s perception, it would be better if things were approached a little more calmly and more carefully, ”said Mertens on the discussion about the vaccination of children and adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 years. But he doesn’t feel under any pressure from the political debate.
The Ulm virologist said he was not particularly worried about school lessons after the summer vacation. “Many calculations show that teaching at schools would be easy to handle if the familiar measures – including wearing a mask, ventilating and installing air filters – were implemented,” emphasized the Stiko boss. “We must also not forget that 9.1 million children under the age of twelve cannot be vaccinated at all – this applies to all daycare and kindergarten children, all children in elementary schools, all children in the first grade of secondary schools.” A variety of measures are needed to ensure everyday school life. “The statement that this is only possible through vaccinations is not correct.”
It is much more important to increase the willingness to vaccinate in the group of 18 to 59 year olds. The vaccination team in this group will decide how the next wave of pandemics will unfold. “It would be really very important to make it clear to the 18 to 59-year-olds that this is not just about their individual protection, but about our community through to economic development,” said Mertens. (dpa)
