Hundreds of doctors fail to show up for AstraZeneca vaccination appointment in Hanover

On Saturday last week, 600 doctors and practice staff from the city and region of Hanover should have been vaccinated. In fact, only 200 “vaccinated people” turned up, reports the NDR.

The others let the appointment pass without cancellation, as the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung (HAZ) reported on Saturday. According to the Hanover region, the appointments had been agreed in writing between the individual practices and the vaccination centre. However, the medical staff on hand in the vaccination centre on the exhibition grounds waited in vain for their medical colleagues.

Cordula Drautz, who is responsible for the vaccination centre’s finance department, told the HAZ that two thirds did not come to the vaccination, and it was a “worrying number and a terrifying signal – we would have liked to give the appointments to others”. It is normally accepted that ten percent of those registered do not come to the vaccination appointment.

According to the Lower Saxony Medical Association, fear of the vaccine from the British-Swedish manufacturer AstraZeneca are the reason for the low vaccination rate among doctors. A week ago, complications from the vaccine became known. Therefore, President Monika Wenker told the HAZ that said she could understand the reluctance.

However, the vaccine has now been declared safe again, but trust in AstraZeneca has yet to be rebuilt. Some 700 doctors and staff from the practices were registered for vaccination this past Saturday. Information on how many of them actually came to the appointment this time is not yet available.