Berlin offers Covid jabs in vaccination centres without appointments
Berlin is ramping up its Covid vaccine rollout - and will offer spontaneous jabs to residents in centres with no prior appointment.
Up to this point, people in the capital have had to book an appointment at the large vaccination centres dotted around the city.
But from Friday, residents can drop by three centres - without having to register in advance.
From July 23rd, vaccinations will be possible everyday from 2 to 5pm without an appointment - at the centres in Tegel, the exhibition grounds (the Messe) in Charlottenburg and at the Erika Heß ice stadium in Wedding.
The offer is in place initially for the next four weeks, said the Berlin Senate on Tuesday.
"We are prepared to receive many spontaneous vaccination guests from Friday in the afternoons, and would be pleased if lots of Berliners take advantage of this vaccination offer," the management of the Corona-Impfzentrum Messe Berlin in the west of the city told regional broadcaster RBB24.
Those who want to get a jab in the centres must be registered in Berlin, and bring their ID card, said the Senate.
It comes as three of Berlin's six vaccination centres are set to close. In Tempelhof, vaccinations will be given for the last time on Tuesday before it closes its doors. Meanwhile, the Arena and the Velodrom will shut by the end of August.
Germany recently announced it was winding down vaccination centres and moving to community driven vaccines. That's because there is a lower demand for jabs in Germany currently and centres are expensive to run.
READ ALSO: Why Covid vaccine demand is dropping in Germany
Berlin says vaccinations protect against severe Covid
Berlin's Urban Development Senator Sebastian Scheel, of The Left party, stressed that vaccinations protect against severe cases of Covid-19 and, in most cases, Covid infections.
Currently, 433 so-called 'vaccination breakthroughs' have been registered in Berlin, he said - that is, people who get Covid despite being fully vaccinated.
Scheel said that figure was low in relation to the number of people who are now fully vaccinated. "This shows that vaccinations really help against infection and against the Delta variant," he said.
About 2.17 million people (59.1 percent) in Berlin have received at least one jab, and 1.7 million people (46.3 percent) have been fully vaccinated.
The Left politician described the willingness of people to be vaccinated in Berlin as "high", but urged people to continue to go and get their jabs.
READ ALSO: 'We need more ads': Germany moves focus of vaccine drive to target undecided
Pop-up vaccine spots in Berlin
The city has also been hosting pop-up Covid vaccinations in parts of the city. For instance, people can get a jab daily at the Ikea parking lot in Lichtenberg and on Friday at the Neukölln City Hall (Rathaus Neukölln).
At the drive-in at Ikea on Landsberger Allee, vaccinations are given with Moderna, according to the district office. Even without a car, those willing to be vaccinated can drop by daily - including weekends - from 11am to 9pm, according to the Lichtenberg district. ID and vaccination card must be brought and the offer is only for people registered in Berlin.
At the vaccination drive in Neukölln later this week, however, people can get their shot regardless of their place of residence. However, an "official identification document" is necessary, said the local council.
The vaccine pop-up takes place on Friday at Rathaus Neukölln between 10am and 5pm.
In view of the large crowds last Friday at a vaccine drive on Hermannplatz, the district moved the event to a different location, and also increased the capacity: now, instead of four doctors, up to eight will be in attendance.
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Up to this point, people in the capital have had to book an appointment at the large vaccination centres dotted around the city.
But from Friday, residents can drop by three centres - without having to register in advance.
From July 23rd, vaccinations will be possible everyday from 2 to 5pm without an appointment - at the centres in Tegel, the exhibition grounds (the Messe) in Charlottenburg and at the Erika Heß ice stadium in Wedding.
The offer is in place initially for the next four weeks, said the Berlin Senate on Tuesday.
"We are prepared to receive many spontaneous vaccination guests from Friday in the afternoons, and would be pleased if lots of Berliners take advantage of this vaccination offer," the management of the Corona-Impfzentrum Messe Berlin in the west of the city told regional broadcaster RBB24.
Those who want to get a jab in the centres must be registered in Berlin, and bring their ID card, said the Senate.
It comes as three of Berlin's six vaccination centres are set to close. In Tempelhof, vaccinations will be given for the last time on Tuesday before it closes its doors. Meanwhile, the Arena and the Velodrom will shut by the end of August.
Germany recently announced it was winding down vaccination centres and moving to community driven vaccines. That's because there is a lower demand for jabs in Germany currently and centres are expensive to run.
READ ALSO: Why Covid vaccine demand is dropping in Germany
Berlin says vaccinations protect against severe Covid
Berlin's Urban Development Senator Sebastian Scheel, of The Left party, stressed that vaccinations protect against severe cases of Covid-19 and, in most cases, Covid infections.
Currently, 433 so-called 'vaccination breakthroughs' have been registered in Berlin, he said - that is, people who get Covid despite being fully vaccinated.
Scheel said that figure was low in relation to the number of people who are now fully vaccinated. "This shows that vaccinations really help against infection and against the Delta variant," he said.
About 2.17 million people (59.1 percent) in Berlin have received at least one jab, and 1.7 million people (46.3 percent) have been fully vaccinated.
The Left politician described the willingness of people to be vaccinated in Berlin as "high", but urged people to continue to go and get their jabs.
READ ALSO: 'We need more ads': Germany moves focus of vaccine drive to target undecided
Pop-up vaccine spots in Berlin
The city has also been hosting pop-up Covid vaccinations in parts of the city. For instance, people can get a jab daily at the Ikea parking lot in Lichtenberg and on Friday at the Neukölln City Hall (Rathaus Neukölln).
At the drive-in at Ikea on Landsberger Allee, vaccinations are given with Moderna, according to the district office. Even without a car, those willing to be vaccinated can drop by daily - including weekends - from 11am to 9pm, according to the Lichtenberg district. ID and vaccination card must be brought and the offer is only for people registered in Berlin.
At the vaccination drive in Neukölln later this week, however, people can get their shot regardless of their place of residence. However, an "official identification document" is necessary, said the local council.
The vaccine pop-up takes place on Friday at Rathaus Neukölln between 10am and 5pm.
In view of the large crowds last Friday at a vaccine drive on Hermannplatz, the district moved the event to a different location, and also increased the capacity: now, instead of four doctors, up to eight will be in attendance.
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