German lawmakers pass COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health workers

Dec. 10 (UPI) -- German lawmakers on Friday overwhelmingly passed a bill to require COVID-19 vaccination for all healthcare workers -- the first of two vaccine mandates being considered in the country.

The bill says health workers must be vaccinated by March, and allows dentists and veterinarians to administer doses.

Both houses of German Parliament voted to pass the measure.

New German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that combating the pandemic is a priority for his administration.

Health Minister and epidemiologist Karl Lauterbach strongly supported the move.

"This vaccine mandate is necessary because it's completely unacceptable that, after two years of the pandemic, people who have entrusted their care to us are dying unnecessarily in institutions because unvaccinated people work there,'' he said, according to Deutsche Welle

Another proposed mandate for all German citizens is under consideration, and is expected to meet with more opposition than the health worker proposal.

Nearly 70% of German people are fully vaccinated, a greater share than many other European Union countries have.

The country has recently imposed stricter measures to curb the spread of the Omicron variant.