Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

German lawmakers reject mandatory COVID shots for over 60s

Share
BERLIN -

German lawmakers on Thursday rejected a bill requiring all people 60 and over in the country to be vaccinated against coronavirus -- a compromise solution the government had hoped would get a parliamentary majority.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his health minister originally called for a vaccine mandate to apply to all adults in Germany, but some government lawmakers and most of the opposition had balked at the idea.

The vote prompted joy from anti-vaccine activists, who staged a march through Berlin's government district banging drums, blowing horns and carrying banners with slogans such as "We are the red line" or simply "No."

The bill was put forward by a cross-party group after months of haggling. It envisaged requiring older people to get the shot, but for there to be compulsory counselling for all adults to help them weigh the advantages and risks of vaccination against COVID-19.

In the end, 378 lawmakers voted against the bill, 296 were in favour and nine abstained.

Germany has managed the pandemic well compared to some of its European neighbours, with fewer deaths per capita than Italy, France, Britain or Sweden.

Social Democratic lawmaker Dagmar Schmidt, who presented the compromise bill, noted that the number of infections has been going down lately.

Confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany have declined in recent weeks from a peak of about 300,000 a day to just over 200,000 in the past 24 hours. There were 328 COVID-19-related deaths reported Thursday, according to Germany's disease control agency.

But Schmidt said it was necessary to prepare for a new rise in cases and a possible new variant emerging later this year.

"We will face the same challenge next fall that we did last fall," she said. "The virus won't simply disappear."

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A body has been found in the vicinity where a woman went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected