German health minister seeks to step up booster shots

Germany’s health minister is calling for booster vaccinations to be stepped up and for more frequent checks of people’s vaccination or test status as new COVID-19 infections increase. Senior health officials also appealed anew on Wednesday to German residents who haven’t yet been vaccinated at all to get their shots. But Health Minister Jens Spahn acknowledged that many of the holdouts can’t be convinced. They said that pressure on hospital beds is rising. That is particularly the case in regions where vaccination rates are relatively low. Spahn said only a bit over 2 million booster shots have been administered so far even though officials agreed in August to make booster shots available to over-60s and nursing home residents and staff.