The German international Joshua Kimmich He has abandoned his misgivings about the covid-19 vaccine and announced his willingness to receive his dose, while he recovers from the consequences left by his infection with the virus.
“For me it was difficult to face my fears and misgivings, that’s why I have been indecisive for so long,” said the midfielder, in a statement advanced by German public television ZDF.
The player of the Bayern Munich, 26, has been the subject of a controversy for weeks, beyond football, after having expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the vaccine or possible contraindications.
The controversy was aggravated when he was quarantined due to a contact with an infected person, which was followed by the verification that he himself tested positive for covid-19.
Last Thursday, after overcoming the infection and quarantine, the Bayern He reported that in any case he will continue to be absent for the remainder of the year due to the sequelae left by the infection.
The player suffers “mild pulmonary infiltrations” that prevent him from returning to training, sources from the Bavarian club said.
The statements of Kimmich against the vaccine deserved at the time the criticism of the federal government. They coincided with a strong upturn in cases and successive calls from the political class to get vaccinated, both from the outgoing government of Angela Merkel as that of his successor, Olaf Scholz.
The midfielder went into quarantine after it was revealed that he had been in contact with an infected person. On November 24, he tested positive for covid-19 and caused a withdrawal for league matches and the Champions League, after having also been out of three calls as an international.
The Bayern Munich, for his part, he stopped paying him the floor in the days when he has not been able to play because of the quarantine, in accordance with the current German regulation for the unvaccinated.
The federal government intends to introduce compulsory vaccination by February next year, while the campaigns to motivate the population to get immunized continue.
Approximately 69.5% of German citizens have the complete guideline, a lower percentage than in other European Union (EU) countries.
The new executive of Scholz, a coalition between social democrats, greens and liberals, is trying to activate vaccinations both for those who have not yet received the first dose and those who should go for the soda, since six months have passed since the second.
The federal Parliament approved this Friday a law that will oblige personnel from sensitive sectors, such as health workers or nursing homes, to be vaccinated.
A new legal framework is also being prepared to extend the obligation to the entire population of the country, which could take effect by February.
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