Before the mandatory vaccination is formally valid, the epidemiologist Gerald Gartlehner wants it to be reconsidered. In an interview with the ZIB2 on Tuesday evening, the health scientist questioned the compulsory vaccination once morest the background of the impending Omikron wave. “We have to assume that following the omicron wave we will have achieved levels of immunity in the population that we never had during the pandemic.”
This immune protection will work “primarily once morest severe infections”. “And therefore you have to reassess the compulsory vaccination following the Omikron wave.”
Gartlehner was also very clear on the question of the fourth stitch, which has already been discussed. This is for “vulnerable groups” such as elderly patients or residents of retirement homes. Gartlehner is currently ruling out the fourth stitch for the entire population: “If there are no new variants, we will no longer need that (the fourth stitch, note) following the Omikron wave.”
The epidemiologist also advocates a significant revision of the quarantine regime – otherwise, given the force of Omikron, “half the country” will soon be in quarantine. “We cannot prevent the omicron wave, we can only dampen it. And contact tracking will also collapse.”
What does that mean for freestyle? Gartlehner advocates that people who have had contact with infected people but are negative should be able to test themselves free following three to four days. And even those who tested positive and showed no symptoms should be able to test themselves following five days instead of the previous ten.
