“Not everyone who is not vaccinated is an opponent of vaccination,” says the Frankfurt virologist. Instead of forcing people, you have to convince them. It’s all about what comes after Omikron.
Frankfurt/Main – The Frankfurt virologist Sandra Ciesek believes that the corona measures can be relaxed. The incidence numbers are stagnating or declining, with Omikron significantly fewer people come to intensive care units.
“Of course, one should not carelessly maintain measures if they are not absolutely necessary,” said the director of the Institute for Medical Virology at the University Hospital Frankfurt on Tuesday in the NDR podcast “The Coronavirus Update”.
However, Ciesek also gave reasons that, from her point of view, speak for caution: “If you were to drop all measures overnight, it would take significantly longer for the incidences to drop again. You would risk a plateau or even an increase again. ”This is dangerous for people without sufficient immune protection and children under five years of age, for whom there is no vaccination yet.
Debate on compulsory vaccination
Politicians have a responsibility to all citizens, said Ciesek: “Politics must listen to the different interests, take them into account and finally weigh them up,” said Ciesek. That is a difficult task. “From a purely medical point of view, it is much simpler. Of course it would be better if we held out a little longer to reduce the numbers.”
Regarding the debate about compulsory vaccination, Ciesek said: “Compulsory vaccination is legal, you can’t say much about it virologically.” Personally, she would rather “get around compulsory vaccination”: “I’d rather convince people that it’s the right thing – for them, for society.” In any case, the immunity gap must be closed, the faster the better.
“Not everyone is opposed to vaccination who is not vaccinated,” said Ciesek – many are simply unsure. If vaccination is compulsory, it is important “that people are offered good advice again”. She warned against arguing purely from the point of view of Omicron: “We actually have to think ahead. It is very unlikely that there will be an end after Omikron.” That there could be a super vaccine that works against all corona viruses at some point, “I think that is extremely unlikely”. dpa
#Ciesek #considers #easing #justifiable #sees #risks