Germany: SC refuses injunction against vaccine mandate for health workers

Germany’s Supreme Court has refused to temporary stop the implementation of vaccine mandate for care and health workers; the law will come into effect in mid-march.

Friday, the country’s constitutional court said that it had rejected a bid to impose an injunction against the measure until a legal challenge against its constitutionality is formally reviewed.

The Karlsruhe-based court received numerous complaints after Parliament approved the measure late last year.

The German government welcomed the decision of the court. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, an epidemiologist, wrote on Twitter: A vaccinated person has a minimal risk of side effects.

The vaccination protects sick and older adults and prevents serious illness and death issues. 

 All medical practitioners, including nursing homes, physiotherapists, doctors’ and hospital practices, and midwives, must get vaccinated by March 15.

If they fail to fulfil the rules, they will be prohibited from doing their job and preventing the vulnerable people from being infected by the unvaccinated medical staff.

On Friday, lawmakers from the three governing parties also presented the first proposal for a universal vaccine mandate.

The scheme requires all adults in Germany to show that they have had three vaccines or have been cured of COVID-19 upon request from October 1.

The medical exemption will be possible; The law would need to be reviewed every three months and would automatically expire at the end of 2023.

 A regional government official in the southern state of Bavaria, Christian Bernreiter, warned last week that if authorities enforce the vaccine mandate in the health care sector, there could be a staff shortage to look after the older and incapable patients.

Merkel’s heir, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats, said that he supported both the limited vaccine mandate for care and health workers and the broader requirement for all to get shots.

Germany’s disease control agency reported more than 240,000 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours and 226 deaths.