The first round of coronavirus vaccinations will begin in Germany from December 27, according to Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn. Elderly care home residents are the priority. 

Germany preparing for COVID-19 vaccine rollout

The Conference of Health Ministers (GMK) of the federal states is preparing for a nationwide rollout of vaccinations against COVID-19 from December 27. According to an announcement from the Berlin Senate Department for Health, Spahn announced on Wednesday that the “approval and supply of the BioNTech vaccine” was expected next week, allowing distribution to begin immediately after Christmas. 

The federal states have therefore been given December 27 as a potential start date and - as Germany currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency - this could mean that vaccinations will start across the bloc at the same time. In the federal republic, nursing homes are being prioritised for the first round of vaccinations. 

EMA decision on vaccine approval expected Monday

The European Medical Agency (EMA) announced on Tuesday that it would deliver its approval decision on the BioNTech / Pfizer vaccine on Monday, December 21. If the decision is - as expected - a positive one, vaccinations could start a few days later, once the European Commission has made the final call on authorisation.

Germany is expecting a delivery of around 400.000 vaccine doses immediately after approval. This batch will be examined by the federal government’s Paul Ehrlich institute before being formally approved for use. Spahn is expecting 11 to 13 million vaccine doses by the end of the first quarter of 2021.

So far, Germany has ordered a total of 100 million doses of the BioNTech / Pfizer vaccine through the EU, but is apparently considering increasing the order. Chancellor Angela Merkel, Spahn and Research Minister Anja Karliczek were due to consult with BioNTech founders Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci via a video conference on Thursday.