Nov 26, 2020 - Health

Berlin to open six mass COVID vaccination centers

Orion Rummler

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stands in front of an open binder with papers sitting on a podium, while talking and gesturing — German Chancellor Angela Merkel at German federal parliament in Berlin on Nov. 26. Photo: Abdulhamid Hosbas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Berlin aims to open six centers with the capacity to vaccinate up to 4,000 people per day with an approved COVID-19 vaccine by mid-December, project coordinator Albrecht Broemme told Reuters on Thursday.

Why it matters: If successful, Germany could be a model for the U.S. and other wealthy countries to handle the logistical challenges of administering a vaccine that requires strict temperature control and storage.

Current plans assume that roughly 80% of the first doses will come from Pfizer/BioNTech and 20% will come from AstraZeneca, Broemme said.

Two airport terminals, a vacant trade fair hall, an ice rink, a concert arena and a velodrome are currently set to be designated as vaccination centers. Berlin reportedly hopes to administer up to 900,000 shots within the first three months.
Broemme described people being guided through the centers as shoppers are herded through IKEA stores.

The big picture: Wealthy countries, including the U.S., are increasingly confident they'll begin mass vaccination this spring, following breakthroughs by Pfizer and Moderna.

Oxford and AstraZeneca have already committed to providing over 1 billion doses of their vaccine, which is expected to enter a new global trial, to the developing world.

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Berlin to open six mass COVID vaccination centers

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