Use vaccination launch at company doctors to accelerate vaccination campaign


BDA AGENDA 12/21 | Topic of the week

The willingness of the German economy to support the national vaccination campaign and thus to accelerate it is still great. Now it is important to tap this potential and to set the course for the future today.

Companies and businesses are ideal settings for employees Rapid inoculation is the ideal way out of the crisis. The faster we vaccinate, the faster our economy will get back on its feet and the economy will pick up speed. Companies and enterprises are a good setting for a low-threshold, workplace-oriented and voluntary vaccination offer for the more than 31 million employees. Workplaces are in the starting blocks when it comes to vaccination. This was shown by the large participation in the BDA company survey on vaccination by company doctors in the companies. Companies have invested a lot in setting up their own vaccination infrastructure. Now it must be ensured that the great potential and the great willingness of companies to get involved in society as a whole is also called upon.

Framework conditions for rapid vaccination must be created With the starting signal for vaccinations by company doctors from 7 June 2021, the beginning has finally been made. Now the necessary legal framework for the start of vaccination still needs to be put in place. The Coronavirus Vaccination Ordinance must be adapted, and the draft bill is currently in the voting process. It is gratifying that many of the demands made by employers and company doctors have been included - from the abolition of the order of priority to the free purchase of the vaccine and vaccination accessories via pharmacies. It is also envisaged that companies will be able to vaccinate all employees as part of the company vaccination programme and that companies will in principle not be liable for vaccinations carried out in the company.

Potential of company doctors must be fully exploited Now, however, it is important to make full use of the potential of company doctors. It must be ensured that the demand for vaccines is met as far and as quickly as possible. It must also be ensured that all company doctors commissioned by the companies are also allowed to vaccinate. Only in this way can companies make their full contribution to the rapid ramp-up of Covid 19 vaccination.

Set the course for the future today Last but not least, it is important to think about tomorrow today. Particularly with a view to the future, it is important to adapt and ensure structures today in such a way that a rapid and flexible response is possible to any new pandemic situations that may arise. This includes the smooth transfer of COVID 19 vaccinations into the regular system as well as sustainable and effective concepts to ensure the necessary capacities for vaccines and vaccination supplies. In the current pandemic, German industry has made a significant contribution to securing vaccine supplies with its own initiatives - e.g. through the VCI platform. In any case, it must be ensured that the booster vaccinations that may be due between winter 2021 and spring/summer 2022 do not lead to any bottleneck situations that would result in a new infection event and an associated new lockdown.