The German Bundestag has just voted on a general Covid-19 vaccination mandate for all citizens over the age of 60. The proposal, put forward by members of the SPD, Greens, and FDP, failed to gain a majority, with 296 votes in favor and 378 against. The introduction of a vaccination mandate for those over 60 in Germany has thus failed for the time being. Additionally, proposals from a group led by Wolfgang Kubicki and the Union were rejected.
The proposed law included a vaccination proof requirement for those over 60 starting in October 2022, as well as a consultation requirement for all citizens over 18. Two groups of MPs from the Ampel coalition, one led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD), and the other led by FDP Health Minister Andrew Ullmann, supported the law. However, due to disagreements, the Ampel coalition presented a government draft instead.
Scholz and Lauterbach had called for a general vaccination mandate early on, while many FDP MPs were against it. In terms of the ethical questions surrounding such a mandate, Scholz allowed for cross-party proposals to be made. The Union faction’s so-called vaccination prevention law was also rejected by a large majority (172 yes, 492 no). This law proposed that a decision on the introduction of a vaccination mandate be made in the fall. A group led by Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP) also failed (172 yes, 497 no), arguing that a vaccination mandate would be an disproportionate infringement on personal rights and should therefore be rejected in general. The group wanted to increase the vaccination rate instead through a new voluntary vaccination campaign.
While the proposal for a general vaccination mandate for those over 60 has failed for now, the debate on the issue is likely to continue. The decision highlights the ongoing tension between individual rights and public health concerns in the context of the pandemic.
