Germany considers sanctions to vaccine rule breakers

Germany's health minister said on Friday he will consider introducing penalties for people who jump the queue for coronavirus vaccines.

Jens Spahn told reporters in Berlin on Friday that there had been several such reports in recent days and the government would discuss with parliament “whether sanctions in this area could make sense.”

Spahn had previously downplayed the issue of queue jumping, but persistent reports have surfaced of senior officials in hospitals and cities getting the vaccines before doctors and nurses.

This week the Catholic bishop of Augsburg acknowledged receiving the vaccine, despite being far down the priority list.

Patient rights campaigners warned Spahn last year that Germany's complicated vaccination system could open the door to corruption and queue jumping, but the ministry rebuffed repeated calls for criminal penalties.

The head of the German Robert Koch Institute said today that, "fortunately, the number of cases is declining, the 7-day incidence is currently 62, and the progress varies greatly from region to region."

Lothar Wieler added, "but it is still tense, and unfortunately many people still die in connection with COVID-19".

Spahn defended tighter border restrictions that were announced earlier in the week.

"We must protect our country from the introduction of further viruses. That is why we decided yesterday to declare the Czech Republic, Tyrol and Turkey as virus variant areas."

(Image credit: AP)