Germany: Outbreak of Omicron in the state with the most vaccinated population

The northern German state of Bremen has the highest rate of vaccination against Covid-19 in Germany, but it is also the hardest hit by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, as it has the highest rate of infection of any region in the country.

Experts say the boom in Bremen could indicate where the whole of Germany is heading in the coming days.

The seven-day outbreak in Bremen was 800 cases per 100,000 inhabitants on Thursday, the highest in Germany and more than double the national rate of 303 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for Infectious Diseases. diseases.

“I think Bremen is just a little ahead of other L .nder,” said Hago Cheeb of the Leibniz Institute for Epidemiology and Prevention Research in Bremen.

He said he expected several German L θαnder to report similar infection rates in the coming days to those in Bremen.

German leaders are set to discuss how to respond to the Omicron variant later today, with measures including shorter periods of self-isolation for Covid-19 amid fears that critical services could be shut down due to the high number of cases.

The Omicron variant is now responsible for more than 85% of coronavirus infections in Bremen. The corresponding figure for the whole of Germany is about 44%, according to data released yesterday, Thursday, by RKI.

The success of Bremen in vaccinating most of its residents early last year may also be another reason.

“We probably have a bigger vaccination gap now in Bremen than anywhere else, where the vaccination took place a little later,” he said.

Studies have shown that protection against Omicron decreases over the months and increases again with a booster dose.

Nearly 84% of the population of Bremen, the smallest of the 16 Lσnder with a population of less than 700,000, is double-vaccinated, compared with the national average of about 72%. Around 44% have taken a booster dose, compared to 42% nationally.

Source: AMPE