Israel is rolling out the fourth corona vaccination at great speed: within a week, more than 250,000 Israelis have already received a fourth dose, the Ministry of Health announced yesterday. According to an expert recommendation, the fourth sting has so far only been given to people over 60, immunocompromised and medical staff.
The Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke on Sunday at the weekly cabinet meeting of a high willingness to vaccinate within the risk groups, “which will prevent a great deal of serious illness and suffering”. The number of new corona infections in Israel in the Omicron wave is higher than ever since the beginning of the pandemic. According to the Ministry of Health, more than 17,500 new cases have been registered within 24 hours.
In Germany Meanwhile, high-ranking politicians from the governing parties, the SPD and the Greens, have dampened expectations of the swift implementation of mandatory vaccinations. SPD parliamentary group vice-president Dirk Wiese told the “Tagesspiegel”: “We should bring the deliberations in the Bundestag to a conclusion in the first quarter.” That is a demanding schedule. With a view to possible delays, he said that the compulsory vaccination does not have a short-term effect anyway, but is “in perspective a precaution for the coming autumn and winter”.
The leader of the Greens in the Bundestag, Britta Haßelmann, emphasized: “This is not an easy decision, it means a deep intervention.”
The third coalition partner, the FDP, is putting pressure on it: “The Bundestag should decide quickly whether a vaccination should be introduced. And if so, for whom,” said Justice Minister Marco Buschmann.
In Italy the government looks with trepidation at the start of school today after the Christmas holidays. Experts fear that more than ten percent of teachers could be absent because of the omicron wave. In addition, there are teachers who have not been vaccinated and who do not want to bow to the compulsory vaccination for teaching staff. They have been suspended from duty, which exacerbates the problems.
Some regions go their own way: The President of the Campania region banned face-to-face teaching by decree until January 29th. Sicily postponed the start of school to Thursday.
Source: Nachrichten
