Luxembourg first prioritises health care and frontline workers in its vaccination efforts, as well as people who are considered vulnerable. This approach is shared by a number of countries across the globe, who intend to protect sick people and create an invisible barrier between the rest of the population.
While firefighters are considered part of this initial focus group, police officers have to wait a little longer. MP Fred Keup (ADR) has therefore addressed the Chamber of Deputies: “Police officers are regularly in contact with the population and by default exposed to a high risk level of contamination. Many of them already tested positive as a consequence of their duties.” Keup thus enquired about when the Luxembourgish police force can expect to be included in the national vaccination efforts.
On Friday, ministers Lenert and Kox provided an official response to the enquiry. They note that the strategy was developed with the help of the ethics commission, which reiterated its priority areas anew on 21 January 2021: reducing the mortality and complication rate for Covid patients, and supporting the health care system.
The commission estimates that although police officers, soldiers, or even teachers are regularly in contact with the population, “their risk of serious morbidity or mortality is lower than that of older and vulnerable people.”
The ministers further emphasised that elevated infection risks are shared almost universally by the entire population. The government officials thus note that there are no plans to prioritise the police force before anyone else. Over the course of the next weeks, officers will receive invitations based on age, just like the rest of the population.
