A mask requirement for publicly accessible interiors is to come in October. Exceptions are vaccination or recovery within the last three months.
Berlin – Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) presented the new protection against infection on Wednesday (August 3). The goal is to break a possible new wave of the coronavirus. According to the previous plans, the regulations should apply from October 1, 2022 to April 7, 2023.
Criticism of the Infection Protection Act: Masks are to be compulsory in public interiors
But shortly after the new law was presented, criticism was pouring down. The main criticism is the introduction of a mask requirement for publicly accessible interiors such as restaurants or museums. Exceptions are only made for people who can prove a negative test, have recovered or have a full vaccination protection, whereby recovery and last vaccination must not have been more than three months ago.
This is likely to affect around 51.5 million Germans who, according to the Robert Koch Institute, have received their third vaccination (as of August 6, 2022). In order to avoid the mask requirement in publicly accessible indoor spaces until the end of the measure, they would have to be vaccinated at least twice.
Experts criticize the Infection Protection Act: “Lauterbach says goodbye to science”
Experts are now joining the political critics. “We must not give the impression that everyone should be vaccinated every three months,” said Prof. Carsten Watzl in the picture on Sunday . The General Secretary of the German Society for Immunology considers a fourth vaccination to be unnecessary for healthy people under the age of 70.
“Mr. Lauterbach says goodbye to science,” criticizes Prof. Andreas Radbruch, Vice President of the European Federation of Immunological Societies, the Minister of Health. Always continuing to vaccinate with the same vaccine does not help at all against the virulent infection situation. The fourth vaccination did not protect Karl Lauterbach against his current infection either.
Experts criticize the Infection Protection Act: warning of the habituation effect
Prof. Alexander Kekulé warns of a habituation effect. “This means that the protective effect of future, slightly modified Covid vaccines could become worse,” said the epidemiologist in the picture on Sunday . Those who do not belong to the high-risk group should better wait for the vaccines adapted to Omicron. Kekulé had previously spoken out against a fourth vaccination for everyone.
