Since the end of March, people with pre-existing conditions stipulated in the vaccination ordinance have been able to be vaccinated, which have a high probability of promoting a serious disease course and significantly increasing the risk of dying from Covid-19. At least that’s the case in theory.
The city has received 12,000 registrations so far, but very few previously ill people have already received an appointment or even a vaccination. Upon request, the city was unable to give a number of how many previously ill people had already been vaccinated.
Most of the previously ill are currently in a queue with an uncertain duration, although an infection with the coronavirus has serious and – in the worst case – even fatal consequences for them, even if they are young and productive. Every communication from the city to the people of Cologne who tested positive for Covid-19 and subsequently died from it can be seen that they were previously ill.
Previously ill people must have a certificate issued
In contrast to the group of 70 to 79-year-olds, who have also been vaccinated since the end of March, those with previous illnesses have to go through a comparatively complex administrative procedure. First you have to get a certificate from your doctor. This must contain the name, date of birth and confirmation of one of the diseases listed in the vaccination ordinance as well as the signature and stamp of the doctor’s practice. Those with previous illnesses must send a copy to the municipal health department by e-mail. The employees there check the data.
“Due to the increased volume of applications, it can take up to ten working days for a response to be received,” said a city spokesman for the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger”. After this waiting period, if the test is positive, the previously ill will receive a barcode with which they can register for a vaccination appointment. In contrast to the group of 70 to 79 year olds, however, they do not have to go to the registration portal of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians – they have to use another registration portal in the city instead. “The speed with which appointments are made depends on the person being vaccinated on the one hand, and on how busy the appointment capacity is on the other,” says the city spokesman.
General practitioners only have small amounts of the vaccine doses at their disposal
The city has now explained the registration process for those with previous illnesses on its own website, but there was no offensive announcement. Many people are affected, as a look at the list of diseases shows, which, according to Paragraph 3 of the Vaccination Ordinance, should enable vaccination as quickly as possible.
These include people who have had an organ transplant, have dementia or a severe mental illness (especially bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or severe depression), cancers that require treatment, severe lung diseases, neuromuscular diseases, diabetes mellitus with complications, chronic liver diseases, chronic kidney diseases, and obesity (Body -Mass index over 40).
The chronically ill and other pre-existing illnesses should also be vaccinated by their general practitioners. So far, however, these have only had small quantities. Practices that want to immunize their patients should receive a good 20 doses from the manufacturer Biontech / Pfizer per week.
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