State health ministers make plans for COVID boosters, tests & quarantine

Germany’s state health ministers are meeting this week to discuss a strategy for combating the pandemic through the winter. Here’s an overview of the main topics up for discussion, and what might be decided. 

What’s up for discussion at the health ministers’ conference?

Against the backdrop of rising infection, hospitalisation and death rates - with the country recording its highest-ever number of daily COVID cases on Thursday - the health ministers for Germany’s 16 federal states are meeting in Lindau to thrash out a joint course of action for the winter months. 

Among other things, the main focus of the conference will be on booster vaccinations against COVID-19 and better protection for elderly people in nursing homes. Also on the agenda is a possible tightening of self-isolation measures for contacts of people who become infected with coronavirus. 

According to a draft paper, made available to the media ahead of the ministers’ meeting, the following topics will be debated: 

• Vaccinations: How to encourage people who are hesitant to get their jabs, and whether to reopen closed vaccination centres. 
• Booster shots: How to speed up the rollout of third vaccinations, especially in nursing homes and in the healthcare sector. One proposal is a targeted information campaign whereby doctors are asked to inform people about the benefits of taking up booster vaccinations. 
• Expanding booster shot eligibility: Ministers also want to discuss the possibility of offering everyone a top-up jab six months after their second dose. 
• COVID testing: Ministers will also debate whether testing arrangements in care homes are currently sufficient, and whether all workers and visitors should be tested on a daily basis. 

Germany debates booster shots

Ahead of the conference, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn on Wednesday reiterated his appeal for more booster jabs to be administered to strengthen vaccine protection among vulnerable groups. He suggested that all of the federal states should write to people over the age of 60 to invite them for a third jab. 

The state premier of Bavaria, Klaus Holetschek, went further to suggest that third vaccinations should eventually be available to everyone, in order to “get ahead of the situation.” Germany’s standing vaccination commission (STIKO) announced this week that it would examine the possibility of rolling out booster shots to all and deliver its verdict within a couple of weeks.