German soldiers face COVID vaccine mandate as cases rise

23 Nov 2021

4290 posts

As COVID cases keep rising, the German military is taking steps to keep its soldiers protected against the deadly disease by mandating all personnel get vaccinated. Soldiers in Germany receive a list of vaccinations upon joining to inoculate them against certain diseases, and now the vaccine against the coronavirus has been added to that list. As reported by the AP:

There were 1,215 active COVID-19 cases as of Monday reported within the military and the ministry’s civilian staff

BERLIN (AP) — The German military is poised to make coronavirus vaccines mandatory for troops as COVID-19 infections continue to rise across the country.

An employee draws up a syringe with the Pfizer vaccine against the coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease at vaccination bus in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. Germany battles rising numbers of coronavirus infections. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

The Defense Ministry on Tuesday confirmed a report in the German military blog Augen Geradeaus that officials and soldiers’ representatives agreed late Monday to add the coronavirus shot to the list of vaccines soldiers must get. The measure still needs to be formally added to military regulations, the ministry said in a statement.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel adjusts her face mask to protect against the coronavirus during her visit at the TUMO education center for creative technologies in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Nov. 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, Pool)

There were 1,215 active COVID-19 cases as of Monday reported within the military and the ministry’s civilian staff.

The nationwide tally of newly confirmed cases rose by 45,326 in the past 24 hours, the country’s disease control agency said Tuesday. A further 309 deaths from COVID-19 were reported, taking the total toll since the start of the outbreak to 99,433.

People wait in a long line for vaccination against the coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease below the Albrechtsburg castle and the cathedral in Meissen, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. Germany battles with rising numbers of coronavirus infections. (Robert Michael/dpa via AP)

On Monday, the U.S. State Department urged Americans not to travel to Germany because of rising case numbers, and to ensure they are fully vaccinated if they do.

Some German states have tightened rules for unvaccinated people in recent days and urged people who haven’t done so yet to get the shot.

But a sizeable minority has resisted calls to do so, prompting a stark warning from the country’s health minister about the consequences of not getting vaccinated.