GERMANY MAKES COVID-19 VACCINES AVAILABLE FOR ALL ADULTS JUNE 7

Germany plans to lift its priority rankings for the coronavirus vaccine from June 7, Health Minister Jens Spahn announced on Monday, after a ramped-up inoculation drive, Sascha Meyer and Basil Wegener reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

Since Germany started administering COVID-19 vaccinations five months ago, jabs have been available according to a priority ranking by age, medical condition, and profession. The decision to open the vaccine up to everyone was taken by regional health ministers at talks in Berlin on Monday.

However, this does not mean that everybody will be able to get an appointment within days, Spahn said, asking people for more patience. Vaccinations will continue "well into the summer," he said. More than 40 million COVID vaccines have now been administered in Germany, which has a population of around 83 million.

Thirty-seven percent of Germans have had at least one shot. A further 15 million people are due to receive their first or second COVID vaccination before June 7.

The government warned that, despite falling infection rates, it was too soon to give the all-clear.

"We have not yet reached the preconditions to enjoy as relaxed a summer as last year," government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said. This time last year, five new cases were being reported per 100,000 residents every seven days, Seibert noted. On Monday, the figure was 83.1, according to Germany's Robert Koch Institute.

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