Some GPs’ practices are already starting on Tuesday, while others are still waiting for vaccine doses to be delivered. In the first week, practices are to receive a total of 940,000 vaccine doses, meaning that each practice will receive an average of 26 doses.

The practices can regulate how they assign vaccination appointments and how they prioritize patients.

The private health insurers’ association PKV has called on the government to speed up the launch of vaccinations in companies.

“The start of the vaccination campaign by general practitioners is the right step, but it is not enough to grant protection to as many people as possible as quickly as possible,” Florian Reuther of PKV told dpa.

“Politicians must already prepare the next step and enable vaccination in companies and with all other doctors and dentists as soon as vaccine deliveries accelerate in the next few weeks,” he said.