German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged citizens in Germany to get vaccinated against Corona. "Every day, with every vaccination, we free ourselves a little more from the clutches of the pandemic and take back our lives," he said in a video message released Wednesday. "Show responsibility for yourself and for others. Get vaccinated!" he urged.

Steinmeier stressed the need for more people to have full vaccination protection to avoid renewed restrictions from new virus variants. "Only then will we be protected with a high degree of certainty against severe and fatal courses of the infection," he said. He urged citizens to contact their primary care physicians or the more than 400 vaccination centers.

"The majority in our country have already received the first vaccination. Many could hardly wait for the vaccination date, like myself. Some wrestled with themselves and then decided to go for it. I thank you for that," Steinmeier said.

Now, he said, it was important that as many as possible followed the example of those who had been vaccinated. "Let's not let up! Only when even more people in our country have received full vaccination protection will the common goal be achieved," the German president continued. "We are very fortunate to have found a means to protect ourselves and others. Let's use it!"

The highest possible vaccination rate also protects schoolchildren and those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. In the same way, he said, it is about ensuring that stores, businesses, cultural institutions and restaurants, for example, can stay open."I am proud and happy when I see what this society has demonstrated in the past year and a half: solidarity, common sense, discipline, inventiveness and mutual help," Steinmeier stressed. Especially now, he said, all of this counts once again in particular.In Germany, around 43 percent of the total population is currently fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Recently, however, vaccinations have not progressed as quickly as they did a few weeks ago.

Image by Christian Bueltemann