Status: 10.06.2021 9:51 a.m.
Hundreds of questions about the corona pandemic: There was great interest in the video chat on Wednesday evening with Hamburg’s Senator for Social Affairs Melanie Leonhard (SPD). Most of the questions revolved around vaccination.
The willingness to vaccinate is still very high, said Leonhard: “We have many, many more inquiries from people who would like to be vaccinated than we can serve at the moment, which makes us very sad.” Hamburg is still getting very little vaccine compared to its population. “We have already noted this several times with the federal government,” said Leonhard. Now there is a promise that this will be compensated so that Hamburg also has a chance to get a better vaccination rate.
No waiting lists
Many users complained that it was difficult to get a vaccination appointment. The senator said she was sure that everyone was in a prioritization group got an appointment. Because of the lack of vaccine, you stick to the prioritization in the vaccination center. “We don’t keep waiting lists. Simply because we re-enter every appointment that has not been made into the system so that it can be re-booked.” Valuable time is lost through waiting lists. But if the vaccination prioritization could also be lifted in the exhibition halls, it would also come to people who do not have a family doctor and could not otherwise get an appointment. If the total amount of vaccine increases, company doctors could also get more vaccine. Whether a booster vaccination is necessary at a later time after a second vaccination is still being researched very intensively. “In perspective, it should be the same as with all other vaccinations. That you can get it at some point in the normal vaccination centers in the city, at the health authorities or from the doctors in private practice,” said Leonhard.
Vaccinated with AstraZeneca: what now?
Users asked many questions about cross vaccinations. Leonhard explained that there were side effects that were sometimes too severe in people under the age of 60. Although these are very few individual cases, the licensing authorities and also the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) and the Paul Ehrlich Institute in Berlin have once again dealt with the vaccines in detail. It was recommended that anyone under 60 years of age should no longer receive their second vaccination with AstraZeneca, but with an mRNA vaccine. “That has an equally good protective effect and may provide better protection against undesirable side effects,” said the Senator. Those who get vaccinated in the vaccination center cannot choose the vaccine for the second vaccination. With resident doctors, it can be decided after a discussion what the best solution is.
Digital vaccination card available soon
From next week, a digital certificate will also be available in the vaccination center, i.e. a digital vaccination pass. “For everyone else there will be a subsequent transfer solution that will hopefully be very convenient. We are still waiting for some data from the Federal Ministry of Health,” said Leonhard. People who have not been vaccinated at the vaccination center could, in some cases, have this reported by both the doctors and the pharmacists. One should give the matter a little time. “The vaccination certificate is wonderful for traveling, it is recognized everywhere. It is not an international one for nothing,” said Leonhard. If you want to travel, it is important to find out more from the Robert Koch Institute and the Federal Foreign Office.
AUDIO: Melanie Leonhard on the digital vaccination certificate (1 min)
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Children and adolescents in the pandemic
“Of course young people suffer extremely. Above all, they suffered extremely from the restrictions on contact. A lot of leisure activities could not take place. But that is important when growing up,” said Leonhard. There are tailor-made offers for them. “Not all of them need therapy with a therapist.” There are offers that precede therapy, for example through the regional education and care centers. “We often get a reflection that young people find it difficult to return to school, not for noise protection reasons, but simply because they are suddenly overwhelmed by the social environment,” said the Senator. The youth welfare service in Hamburg also has offers that offer a good transition to therapy. “There is something for young people,” said Leonhard, but that doesn’t always have to be therapy. “Many now first need freedom, security and a zest for life.”
Vaccinations for children: For the time being no central vaccination offer
Regarding vaccinations for children and adolescents, Leonhard said that the recommendations of the Stiko were strictly adhered to. In the case of vaccinations for previously ill children, a consultation with the pediatrician or specialist is required. “That is the reason why we are not going to vaccinate centrally at the moment.” Should there be a vaccination recommendation from Stiko, “I can well imagine that we will also make a central vaccination offer on the part of the state,” said Leonhard.
Daycare centers and schools: what is planned?
There is a budget for hygiene measures for schools and daycare centers. “We use this to finance these rapid antigen tests, for example, which are now being used everywhere. That is an important thing. Then there are, for example, masks for teaching staff and other things,” says Leonhard. Lollipop tests were only partially suitable for children under three years of age. What to use the budget for hygiene measures for, “is best then decided at that point in time.” Depending on “what is currently on the market for good, safe and, above all, properly applicable products”.
Help for poorer parts of the city
The pandemic has shown how big the differences are between socially disadvantaged neighborhoods and more affluent areas. “We always knew that health is something that also depends a little on what kind of life situation you are in. That was not first shown to us by the pandemic,” said Leonhard. There are great efforts to improve the situation in districts, for example through increased awareness-raising campaigns by local health authorities and through special health promotion offers, such as early help for young parents. Doctors’ practices in parts of the city where there aren’t that many doctors would be equipped with an additional vaccine. “What we also do is that, for example, with projects such as vaccination in the job center, we make special vaccination offers for special target groups.” There are also mobile vaccination teams in order to reach certain target groups in a very special way and to make them a vaccination offer.
Worry about the virus variants
Leonhard said about the coronavirus variants that it was a little tense when you see how things are going in Great Britain. It cannot be ruled out that the situation will deteriorate again. A single vaccination does not really protect against infection, you need complete vaccination protection. “And now we can all calculate how we will get on,” said Leonhard.
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