Increased rights proposed for vaccinated people

Vaccinated people are apparently hardly contagious, claims the results of a study with vaccinated people in Israel. This is being watched very closely in Germany. Lawyers and companies insist on a gradual return of civil liberties.

Business and society have been waiting for this: New data from Israel indicate that people who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus with the active ingredient from Biontech/Pfizer not only protect themselves, but are also far less contagious to others. This protection of fellow human beings, which has long been unclear, enables an open perspective in lockdown, at least for this group.

And it is getting bigger every day: According to the Robert Koch Institute, 4 percent of the German population have received their first vaccination and more than 2 percent a second vaccination. That's 3.3 and 1.8 million people. Every day 50,000 people receive the second vaccination and thus the full immunization. In addition, the new data show that the Biontech vaccine already provides a high level of protection with the first vaccination.

In view of the new, promising immunization data, the former President of the Federal Constitutional Court, Hans-Jürgen Papier, told the FAZ: "If vaccinated people are demonstrably not only protected from their own illness, but there is almost certainly no risk of infection from them, then there is no longer any justification for the restrictions of freedom."

It is not about special rights, explained the Munich law professor. "It is about the repeal or relaxation of sovereignly ordered restrictions on freedom, i.e. the restoration of the normal state of fundamental rights." This is not opposed by the idea of maintaining social peace, "especially since this forced solidarity would be of no benefit to the unvaccinated people ". The paper pointed out that within the scope of infection protection, differentiations were already being made and not objected to.

The industries affected by the pandemic have high hopes for the new development. "The debate about giving back their freedoms and fundamental rights to vaccinated people is to be welcomed," said Ingrid Hartges, General Manager of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association Dehoga. "If it is clear that all vaccines have the effect of Biontech and there is no risk of infection from vaccinated people, that would be a big step forward."

It is all the more important that all people who want to be vaccinated can do this: "Together with a clever and comprehensive test strategy, vaccination is the most reliable way to get the pandemic under control." Hartges described the current financial situation in the hotel and catering industry as disastrous. "No question about it, the health of the guests and employees has priority. However, it is the task of politics to actively do everything possible to ensure that the lockdown does not last a day longer than is absolutely necessary."

The Dehoga boss made it clear that the hotel and catering industry now have a lot of experience with data protection-compliant registration. "If the legal requirements are met, the entrepreneurs could then also check the vaccination certificate," she said. "We are prepared for it."

Hartges made it clear, however, that there should be no discrimination against non-vaccinated people. The preference of individual groups is at least legally controversial as long as not everyone has the chance of vaccination. "That is why we generally have to accelerate vaccination - for everyone - and thus increase the vaccination rate significantly and quickly."

The managing director of the German Tourism Association (DTV), Norbert Kunz said: "For vaccinated people, if they can no longer infect others, the basic rights must apply again. That has nothing to do with privileges." In order to reopen tourism to everyone, apart from significant progress in vaccination, stable, low incidence values are required. The DTV has therefore developed a "restart strategy" that provides for opening perspectives for tourism below an incidence of 50.

Image by The Eye Newspapers