London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Merkel says vaccination is one’s ‘duty’ to society

Merkel says vaccination is one’s ‘duty’ to society

Rolling up your sleeves for a Covid jab isn’t only a person’s right, it’s their “duty” to society, outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, as her nation sees record increases in virus cases despite high vaccination rates.
“You have the right to get vaccinated,” Merkel told an Asia-Pacific business forum on Friday, adding that “to a certain extent, you also, as a member of society, have the duty to be vaccinated, to protect yourself and to protect others.”

Merkel called vaccination programs “a great fortune, a huge achievement of science and technology.” The chancellor was speaking at the forum at the invitation of New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, as Germany is not a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

Merkel also lamented the declining role of centralized information channels such as television in modern societies, saying people were increasingly turning to social media and shutting themselves into information “bubbles.”

“In the old days, we had certain events that happened in our society. Television reported about it and the next day everyone talked about it,” she said. “Today, everyone participates in his or her own social media. You only engage in a bubble that you meet on the Internet.”

On Thursday, Germany’s health watchdog – the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) – reported the highest increase in new cases, amounting to over 50,000. That is the highest figure reported by the German authorities since the very beginning of the pandemic back in 2020.

RKI chief Lothar Wieler sounded the alarm earlier on Friday when he told German media that a fourth coronavirus wave has now hit Germany “in full force.” He warned that up to 200 people out of the latest infected could die, according to the German tabloid Bild.

Wieler also called for major events to be canceled, saying that the so-called 2G rule that restricts access to certain venues unless a person is vaccinated, has recovered from or has tested negative for Covid-19, is no longer an adequate measure in some areas. The surge comes as 67% of Germans are already fully vaccinated.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
×