Germans have hardly seen a face more often during the corona pandemic: RKI boss Lothar Wieler (60) regularly informs Health Minister Jens Spahn (41, CDU) about the current spread of the corona virus, and his institute gives recommendations to the Policy for taking action.
Due to various mishaps (including incorrect data transmission by the health authorities, incorrect statistics on vaccination progress), the institute is repeatedly criticized – and Wieler himself is also under massive threats, according to his own statement.
Wieler reported to the newspapers of the Funke Mediengruppe about his situation in the months of the pandemic: “I wish the situation would be more pleasant, but I still get threats.”
If, for example, it is publicly claimed that he is responsible for the fact that schools are closed, or if the claim is made somewhere that he wants lockdown instead of freedom, “then the threats, including death threats, increase massively”. But that doesn’t prevent him from doing his job. Wieler continues: “But the risk doesn’t stop me from doing my duty. As long as I am an official of this state, I will serve him responsibly. “
Wieler rejects criticism
The RKI boss defended his institute again against criticism because of incomplete vaccination data. An RKI report, according to which more people are probably vaccinated among adults than official data suggest, caused a stir last week. He shared the anger about the reporting problems, but the RKI was not responsible for it.
“But the reporting of the vaccinating bodies is required by law in the Coronavirus Vaccination Ordinance, it must be complete and prompt in order to be able to show the progress of vaccination in Germany as accurately and up-to-date as possible. It is unfair to put the blame on the RKI, ”said Wieler.
The officially reported data are the minimum vaccination rate, said the RKI boss. With the entry of resident doctors into vaccination, the vaccination quota can no longer be recorded as precisely as in the vaccination centers. “We can only say that by the end of September up to 84 percent of adults had been vaccinated at least once and up to 80 percent had been vaccinated completely.” It was impossible to say how high the actual rate is now.