BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – Public approval of a general obligation to vaccinate against the corona virus in Germany is falling slightly. However, there is still a clear majority in favour. According to a survey by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of the German Press Agency, 60 percent support compulsory vaccination, 32 percent are against it, and 8 percent do not provide any information. At the beginning of December, 63 percent were still in favor and only 30 percent against.
The Bundestag wants to debate general vaccination requirements for the first time next Wednesday. The traffic light coalition of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP has decided to abolish the faction constraint and let MPs decide freely. There is already a group application by the FDP MP Wolfgang Kubicki against compulsory vaccination. In addition, MPs from the SPD, Greens and FDP have announced an application for compulsory vaccination from the age of 18.
The old federal government of the Union and the SPD had rejected compulsory vaccination for a long time, and there was still no majority in favor of it at the beginning of the vaccination campaign a year ago. A few days after the first vaccination in Germany on December 26, 2020, in a YouGov survey, 56 percent were still against compulsory vaccination and only 33 percent were in favor.
According to the current survey, approval of compulsory vaccination increases with age. Of those aged 18 to 24, only 48 percent are in favor and 35 percent are against. In the age group over 55, 68 percent are in favor and only 26 percent are against./mfi/DP/edh