German health minister expects vaccine in 2021

BERLIN — Germany’s health minister says he expects a vaccination for the coronavirus to be ready to start rolling out in the first quarter next year.

Health Minister Jens Spahn and Research Minister Anja Karliczek had said in September that they hoped to be able to start vaccinating the most at-risk group of Germans in the first months of 2021, and Spahn said Monday that prognosis is on track.

“As things stand today, Oct. 12, I assume that we’ll be able to begin in the first quarter of next year,” Spahn said during a video conference with the Ifo Institute research think-tank.

Vaccinations would be voluntary, and go first to people with preexisting medical conditions, the elderly and people working in health care and nursing homes.

Germany is supporting several efforts to develop a vaccine, and Spahn said eventually there should be more than enough to go around.

“If all the horses reach the finish line, we will have far too much vaccine,” he said.