A coronavirus vaccination guide for Expat Berliners!

Sure!

However, you might want to think things through a little more.

There are groups of people who WILL become seriously ill after becoming infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, myself included!

The risk of becoming seriously ill or of dying after contracting Covid-19 is many times greater than with the flu. Older people or those with pre-existing illnesses, have a greater risk of becoming seriously ill.

As such, the new coronavirus vaccine offers the best-possible protection against infection and potential consequences.

Only when approximately 70 percent of the population are immune, will transmission of SARS-CoV-2 be reduced to the extent that the pandemic will disappear.

No.

Vaccination against Covid-19 is not mandatory in Germany, but it is highly recommended.

If you are vaccinated, you not only protect yourself, but others too.

In principle, only people who have received an invitation, can be vaccinated in Berlin.

You cannot apply for vaccination by yourself. You will either receive a letter of invitation or a request to contact your GP or family doctor.

You need to be registered as officially residing in Berlin – angemeldet – in order to receive an invitation.

People with a high job-related risk of becoming infected, might also be invited to vaccination through their employer.

You don’t need a certificate / document or an attestation.

Your personal ID or passport will suffice.

The vaccine will not be available at doctors’ surgeries in the first few months weeks of the vaccination programme. This is a temporary situation.

Due to logistics, some vaccines have to be kept at extremely low temperatures, are supplied in multi-dose containers, and must be properly stored.

In addition, it is easier to organise vaccinations if the people who are to be protected as members of priority groups, are vaccinated first.

The more people vaccinated at an early stage, the sooner the pandemic can be brought under control.

Covid-19 vaccinations will initially be administered at vaccination centres.

Mobile teams will also be deployed, for example, to administer vaccines in residential care homes.

At a later date, vaccinations will also be available at doctor’s surgeries.

No.

Although the vaccine is stored at around -70°C, shortly before vaccination it is thawed and mixed into a saline solution, which is stored at normal refrigerator or room temperature.

To ensure complete protection, you will need to be vaccinated twice (two times), at intervals of between three or four weeks.

At the initial stage, there will not be enough vaccine available for all.

It is recommended that those who have the greatest health-related risk of developing a serious case of Covid-19 and those with a job-related risk of becoming infected, are vaccinated first.

The ultimate goal is to vaccinate everyone who wants to be vaccinated against coronavirus, as soon as possible.

Because the vaccine is only available in limited quantities to begin with, people with an especially high risk of developing a serious or fatal case of Covid-19 will be vaccinated first.

It is planned that all people to be vaccinated as a matter of priority will be notified personally, or via the press.

If you provide care for people entitled to be vaccinated, such as the elderly in residential nursing homes, who cannot give their consent to vaccination themselves, it is best for you as a carer, to hand in a written request to the home management, in advance.

People with a particularly high job-related risk of infection or who have close contact with vulnerable groups of people, should also be able to be vaccinated first. This means:

• Residents of senior citizens’ homes or residential nursing homes
• Nursing staff in both outpatient and inpatient geriatric care
• Other staff in senior citizens’ homes or residential nursing homes who have contact with residents
• People aged 80 and over
• Staff in medical institutions
  • with an especially high risk of becoming infected
    (e.g. in emergency rooms, in providing medical care for Covid-19 patients)
  • with close contact to vulnerable groups (e.g. in oncology or transplant medicine)

Several tens of thousands of people were involved in the vaccine trials. No serious side-effects have been reported so far.

Possible frequently-occurring side-effects include slight-to-moderate pain at the injection site, fatigue and headaches, all of which are temporary and usually disappear within two days.

In the approval trials, side-effects can be observed with a frequency of 1 in 1,000. No conclusions can be drawn at this stage regarding any long-term effects.

While certain risks cannot be ruled out, Germany insists that only vaccines that meet very strict safety standards and have undergone extensive clinical trials, are approved.

The safety tests were optimised for the coronavirus vaccine in that the traditional test phases were carried out in parallel, and not staggered at intervals over time. But that does not mean that test phases were left out.

The main priority is safety first.

If you notice any side-effects, you must contact your local doctor or pharmacist, straight away.

Even if they did not administer the vaccination, they are your first point of contact in evaluating side-effects, making a possible diagnosis, and prescribing follow-up treatment.

Suspected cases of side-effects are taken very seriously and efforts are made to clarify as quickly as possible, whether the symptoms involve a co-incidental reaction, or are a real side-effect.

In many cases, suspected side-effect have not been confirmed.

Side-effects can also be reported to the Paul Ehrlich Institute via the nebenwirkungen.bund.de website or via the Paul Ehrlich Institute app SafeVac 2.0 App:

For Google, click here!

For Apple, click here!

NOTE: Your doctor will, and is required, to report any side-effects that occur to the respective authorities.

Such an assumption is a conspiracy theory, not fact.

The microchip claim is false.

Research on the Covid-19 vaccine is conducted by scientists.

Their aim is to develop a safe coronavirus vaccine.

Your mental health is important.

Speak to your doctor. They are the best people to answer all your questions about the coronavirus vaccine.

With the coronavirus vaccine, there is hope of providing safe and effective protection against Covid-19 infection.

Prior to approval, the vaccines had been tested in clinical trials involving several tens of thousands of volunteers.

No serious side-effects have occurred so far.

No conclusions can be drawn at this stage regarding any long-term effects.

The risk of harm from contracting the infection is far greater.

Researchers already knew a lot about SARS-CoV-2, from similar viruses.

That knowledge could be quickly used, and provided a good basis on which to develop the Covid-19 vaccine.

Researchers around the world had been working on vaccine development simultaneously, sharing their latest results with each other, and passing them on to the testing and approval authorities.

This kind of global scientific collaboration has not been seen prior to this pandemic.

However, there’s no cause for concern.

None of the test phases were left out.

Several test phases were worked on in parallel, and cooperation was extremely intensive
throughout.

You’re referring to mRNA vaccines.

These are not converted into DNA and have no influence on our genes.

DNA cannot be made from mRNA in human cells. While DNA and mRNA sound similar, they are two entirely different things.

When you receive an mRNA vaccine, your body responds by making proteins which your immune system responds to by making antibodies, which then protect you against the actual virus.

Vaccine reactions are not the same as side-effects.

Based on the results of pre-approval clinical studies that showed good tolerability, the incidence of side-effects is low.

However, as with every vaccination, vaccine reactions can occur.

They are actually a good sign that your body is absorbing the vaccine and is building antibodies.

Vaccine reactions can include things like medium-severity headaches, pain in the limbs and joints, pain in the arm near the injection site, tiredness or flu-like symptoms.

Monitor your symptoms and if you have any questions, contact your doctor as described in the answer to „Where can I report side-effects?” above.

No.

The vaccines will only be available for adults.

The vaccine has not yet been sufficiently tested in children and adolescents. It cannot, therefore, be recommended for general use among younger age groups.

If a vaccine for children is developed in the near future, the regulatory authorities must then ensure that it is effective and safe, just as for the vaccines for adults.

When the time comes, vaccination recommendations will also be made for children.

Don’t be a prat!

The vaccine takes effect and provides protection approximately 3-4 weeks after the second vaccination, but even after that you will still need to comply with the prevailing hygiene and distancing rules.

Despite immunity, you may still be a carrier – so the rules continue to apply for the time being, for everyone’s protection.

No.

If you have no symptoms, it won’t be necessary.

The tolerability of the vaccine is not negatively influenced by an acute infection.

It is generally assumed that people are immune after contracting Covid-19.

If you have already had a coronavirus infection, you do not need to be vaccinated. However, vaccination is not harmful if the infection has passed unnoticed.

According to manufacturers’ instructions, the Covid-19 vaccines offer a high degree of protection of up to 95 percent.

Studies show that in trials, Covid-19 vaccinated volunteers were 95 percent less likely to contract coronavirus than those vaccinated with the placebo. If a Covid-19 vaccinated person comes into contact with the pathogen, it is highly unlikely that they will become infected.

In Germany, vaccination is free of charge.

The cost of the vaccine will be borne by your health insurance and / or the Federal Government.

There are six vaccination centres in Berlin:

Messe Berlin (Hall 21) – Corona-Impfzentrum – BioNTech Vaccine

Erika-Hess-Ice rink (Eisstadion) – Corona-Impfzentrum – Moderna Vaccine

Velodrom – Corona-Impfzentrum – Moderna Vaccine

Arena Berlin – Corona-Impfzentrum – BioNTech Vaccine

Former Tegel Airport (Flughafen Tegel) – Terminal C

Former Tempelhof Airport

You are free to choose any of the 6 Berlin vaccination centres.

Every vaccination centre is at least barrier-free.

For more information, click here.

Yes.

Your guide dog can also accompany you to the vaccination centre however, during vaccination itself, your dog must wait in front of the vaccination cabin.

No!

Please arrange your arrival so that any accompanying person can wait OUTSIDE the building.

Support is available at the vaccination centre, if you need it.

Only in exceptional situations (e.B. legal supervisor) is an accompanying person allowed into the building.

There are plans to have contact staff for languages in German, English, Turkish and French.

Educational materials will also be provided in different languages.

It is possible to use telephone voice intermediary services on site.

Yes.

Water is available AFTER vaccination.

Yes.

To get vaccinated, you must bring:

• Your identity card, passport or residence permit
• The letter of invitation for vaccination – Einladungsschreiben
• The medical history questionnaire attached to the letter of invitation – completed and filled in – Anamnesebogen
• The declaration of consent attached to the letter of invitation – signed – Einverständniserklärung

Try to bring all documents with you.

If you have forgotten the information sheet, the declaration of consent sheet, or the medical history questionnaire, you can do them onsite.

You MUST however, have your identity card / passport, and invitation letter with you.

Without them, you will not be vaccinated.

For organisational reasons, you will receive a separate proof of vaccination.

You can include evidence of the coronavirus vaccination for the yellow book later on, with your local doctor.

Yes.

You can still be vaccinated.

You will receive documentation of the coronavirus vaccination on a separate sheet.

You can register the vaccination in your yellow international certificate of vaccination book later on, with your local doctor.

Yes.

You can still get your second vaccination.

The two vaccinations are documented in the vaccination center where you received your first dose.

When checking in, please register and have your vaccination entitlement checked.

While in the waiting area, you can watch an informational film about what to expect before seeing a doctor, who will give you more details about the vaccination process.

You will also receive an information sheet and a consent form.

Please read both documents carefully.

Next, you will have the opportunity to speak to a doctor, and receive advice about health-related issues concerning coronavirus vaccination.

You can also ask any questions you may have.

At the end of the consultation, please sign both the information sheet and the consent form.

You will receive a signed copy of each to take home.

The information sheet provides answers to the most important questions concerning coronavirus vaccination such as:

What exactly is Covid-19, what are the typical symptoms, and why is it so dangerous?

How does the vaccine work, how does it behave once in the body, and how effective is it?

What do I need to consider before, and after vaccination?

What vaccine reactions and side-effects could occur?

You fill in the form to provide information about your state of health, previous vaccinations, and any allergies you may have.

The doctor administering the vaccination may also ask questions in response to the information you provide.

By signing the form, you expressly consent to receiving a coronavirus vaccination.

The coronavirus vaccinations are administered by specially trained healthcare staff.

The vaccination will be documented in your vaccination passport – Impfpass – noting the batch number, and various other information.

If you don’t have a vaccination passport, you will receive a substitute confirmation letter.

Once you have been vaccinated, you will be shown to a separate waiting area where you will remain under medical observation, for a short period of time.

To participate in the survey on Covid-19 vaccine tolerability, use the Paul Ehrlich Institute’s SafeVac 2.0-App app (available from the Apple App Store or from Google Play).

You can report any side-effects you may have via the app.

You should also report any side-effects to your doctor, who will examine your symptoms and conduct any further tests.

Side-effects can also be reported via the Paul Ehrlich Institute website, to your local pharmacist or the vaccine manufacturer, who will then report symptoms that could be related to the vaccine, to the central authorities.

You have now received your first dose of coronavirus vaccine.

In order to be fully inoculated, you MUST get the second dose, 3 to 4 weeks after the first vaccination!

You MUST get your second vaccine in the same location as the first.

Please take your vaccination passport – Impfpass – or the substitute confirmation letter, with you to the second appointment.

And at all times, please ensure that you follow the coronavirus hygiene rules – keep your distance from others, wash or disinfect your hands, and cover your mouth and nose.

Please consult with your doctor for advice BEFORE the vaccination date.

Typical complaints are redness, swelling and pain at the vaccination site.

Fever, headache, limb pain and discomfort, are also possible.

These reactions are an expression of the desired confrontation of the immune system with the vaccine, and usually disappear completely after a few days.

Specific side effects: No serious safety concerns have been identified so far, but the observation period for relevant vaccine side effects is still too short.

Possible side effects are expected shortly after vaccination.

Physical exertion and hot baths should be avoided immediately after vaccination.

Driving is allowed.

Yes.

The vaccine offers a very high level of protection, but 100% protection cannot be guaranteed.

The vaccine is injected by a medical person.

In the first vaccines, approximately 0.3 – 0.5 ml are administered per vaccination.

The BioNTech vaccine has more than 90% protection against Covid-19 seven (7) days after the second vaccination.

Information on the other vaccines will follow.

We don’t yet know as there are no long-term observations.

• the Governing Mayor of Berlin – Senate Chancellery Corona virus information (Covid-19) – English
• Der Regierende Bürgermeister von Berlin – Senatskanzlei Informationen zum Coronavirus (Covid-19) – German
• the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government – Engish
• Presse- und Informationsamt der Bundesregierung – German
• the Federal Ministry of Health – a little bit of English
• Bundesministerium für Gesundheit – German
• the Berliner Krankenhausgesellschaft e.V. – German
• the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin – English
• Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin – German
• the Robert Koch Institute – English
• Robert Koch-Institut – German
• the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute – Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines – English
• Paul-Ehrlich-Institut – Bundesinstitut für Impfstoffe und biomedizinische Arznemittel – German
• Information on COVID-19 in Germany – Zusammen gegen Corona – English
• Information on COVID-19 in Germany – Zusammen gegen Corona – German
• Informationen der Bundesländer zur Corona-Impfung – German
• Impfung gegen Corona (SARS-CoV-2) in Berlin – German
• Impfdashboard – Bundesministerium für Gesundheit – German
• Federal Office for Health Education: Information on COVID-19 in several languages!