Germany to expand COVID-19 vaccination programme

Germany's leaders have agreed on plans to expand the country's vaccination program to integrate the infrastructure of general practitioners after Easter as they seek to speed up their campaign. Germany so far has relied largely on special vaccination centers for its campaign, which has got off to a much-criticized slow start.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said after conferring with Germany's 16 state governors Friday that "we want the proverbial, and proven, German thoroughness to be complemented with more German flexibility." As vaccine supplies improve, general practitioners will be brought on board in the week after Easter. A minimum of 2.25 million doses per week will be set aside for the vaccination centers, with the rest going to doctors' practices.

In addition, thousands of doses from an additional delivery of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to the European Union will be sent to areas bordering France and the Czech Republic where infection rates are a particular concern. Merkel said she doubts that great damage has been done by this week's temporary suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Germany and other European countries.

She said that she herself would be happy to get the AstraZeneca jab "but I would like to wait until it's my turn." Merkel rejected the suggestion that her government should get vaccinated early with AstraZeneca shots to set an example, pointing to a priority system that puts the most elderly and vulnerable first.

(Image Credit: AP)