Coronavirus vaccination centers to remain open for a long time to come

Waiting visitors at the Coronavirus vaccination center Messe Berlin.

According to the Berlin Senate, the city's vaccination centers remain indispensable for the time being.

Vaccination centers to stay open nationwide through end of year

"It is very clear that we wish for them to stay open and continue to work," Berlin's Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) said on Tuesday (Jan. 18, 2022) after a Senate meeting at which the issue of the current vaccination situation was discussed. "There is a nationwide agreement on keeping vaccination centers open until the end of the year," Giffey said. "We will act accordingly in Berlin. In any case, we have a very clear need in the next few months to keep the vaccination centers available."

Free capacities in Berlin vaccination centers

Giffey pointed to the free capacities at Berlin's vaccionation centers: "Our centers are not full to the rafters, so there is the possibility for anyone willing to go there and get the vaccination, even without an appointment." For the Senate, however, the vaccination centers are only one component of the vaccination strategy. So-called outreach vaccination, in which mobile vaccination teams come to various locations, is to be expanded. Senator for Health Ulrike Gote (Green Party) mentioned the housing estate Märkisches Viertel as an example, for which an outreach vaccination campaign is newly planned.

Booster vaccination rate of 50 percent to be reached in January

Giffey announced that more locations will be added. "If necessary, we will also focus on a location for family or child vaccination once again." From her point of view, vaccination is progressing well so far. For booster vaccinations, the vaccination rate is currently at 48.2 percent - the goal is to be at 50 percent by the end of January. "We will definitely achieve that," Giffey stated. For first-time vaccinations, the rate in Berlin is currently at 76.2 percent. Here, too, she said, there is a chance to reach the targeted 80 percent by the end of the month.