“We have the basis for 30 million vaccinations by the end of the year,” Lauterbach told Der Spiegel news magazine.

“We are now first doing an inventory with all the specialist departments on Friday to see how many of these 30 million can really be used.”

Shortly before becoming chancellor, Olaf Scholz called for 30 million vaccinations to be given by Christmas, and the authorities pledged that everyone who wanted a first, second or booster shot by the end of the year should be able to get one. Estimates suggest there could be 30 million takers.

Lauterbach also said he wanted to establish which vaccine doses are being stored where, which contracts to buy more doses have been completed and how the delivery situation looks in January. He is also seeks to assess which bilateral contracts may be possible.

He is to be supported in the inventory by the head of the pandemic crisis staff, General Carsten Breuer.

It emerged a day earlier that the German government has obtained a further 3 million Pfizer/BioNTech shots that other EU states do not need, in order to make progress on the vaccination campaign.

They additional jabs are to be made available to the states for vaccination centres this week and early next week, according to a report by departing health minister Jens Spahn.