Germany: Get COVID shots for Christmas, minister urges
With COVID-19 infection rates rising, Germany's health minister has encouraged vulnerable individuals to take advantage of newly-adapted vaccinations. German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach on Monday said it was important for at-risk individuals to have their coronavirus vaccinations in advance of the Christmas and New Year holidays. Lauterbach, himself a trained epidemiologist, said the takeup rate of newly adapted boosted shots designed to fight current COVID-19 variants was so far disappointing. What did the minister say about COVID shots? With three weeks to go until Christmas Day, Lauterbach said it was "the optimal time" for people identified as vulnerable to have the COVID-19 shot. This would allow the vaccine to take full effect before the large social gatherings and travel that often take place at Christmas, he said. Germany's Standing Commission on Vaccination recommends an annual booster vaccination for people with an increased risk of a serious...