In the German parliament, this measure was supported by 571 members of the Bundestag. There were 80 votes against and 38 deputies abstained. The Federal Council, made up of representatives of the governments of the sixteen federal states, unanimously approved the duty to vaccinate.

Germany’s new Health Minister Karl Lauterbach on Friday morning described it as “totally unacceptable” that people in healthcare institutions should die unnecessarily because they had not been vaccinated. The minister said that action is being taken to break the fourth wave of Corona.

It is not yet clear what the exact consequences of refusing the vaccine will be.

Germany follows France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Greece with this measure. There, healthcare staff must also be vaccinated against the coronavirus. If health care workers fail to do so, they will be fired or fined.

General injection commitment

Germany is also considering introducing mandatory vaccinations for all adult residents of the country. That will be voted on at a later time. This obligation should enter into force in February 2022. Currently, 69 percent of Germany’s population is fully vaccinated and 21 percent have received a booster shot.