Berlin wants to vaccinate homeless people against the coronavirus earlier than originally planned. The city has unused vaccine doses because demand for Astra Zeneca’s product is sluggish.

“In the current situation, it is unacceptable that vaccines lie around unused,” Berlin’s Social Senator Elke Breitenbach told media. “We could and should now make all homeless people in emergency shelters an offer of vaccination as quickly as possible.”

Vaccinations of homeless people shall start this week. For this purpose, so-called “vaccination islands” are set up at various locations in the city, in facilities with medical personnel already available, for example to take rapid tests.

In Germany’s vaccination schedule, homeless people are part of the second priority group. The hesitant acceptance of the Astra Zeneca Covid-19 vaccine has sparked a debate about changing the vaccination schedule.

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