(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, JUL 28 - More than half the population
of Germany is now fully vaccinated, Health Minister Jens Spahn
said Wednesday, but concerns are growing about a slowdown in
uptake. "41.8 million Germans now have full protection, while
61.1 percent have received at least one shot. The more people
who get vaccinated, the safer we will be in autumn and winter,"
Spahn wrote on Twitter. Germany's vaccination campaign
accelerated in the spring after a sluggish first few months, yet
the country remains some way off the 80 percent targeted for
herd immunity. The inoculation drive has slowed to a snail's
pace in recent weeks, sharpening fears of a fourth wave of
infections driven by the more contagious Delta variant. With
case numbers also rising, the debate over how to convince more
people to take the vaccine is set to become a key issue in the
national elections scheduled for September 26. On Wednesday,
official figures showed 2768 new coronavirus cases over the last
24 hours, while the incidence had risen again to reach 15 cases
per 100,000 over a seven-day period. According to the Robert
Koch Institute public health agency, the Delta variant now
accounts for more than 80 percent of all new infections in
Germany. (ANSA-AFP).
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