Implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign: experiences and perspectives from the point of view of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians Westfalen-Lippe (KVWL)

The main task of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians Westfalen-Lippe (KVWL) is to provide comprehensive outpatient medical and psychotherapeutic care in the region of Westfalen-Lippe (WL). It represents approximately 15,000 physicians and psychotherapists. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the range of tasks has expanded to include dealing with the pandemic and its containment. This article describes the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in WL, the northeastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) with a population of 8.3 million, as well as the experience gained in setting up vaccination centers and conducting mass vaccinations. A key problem throughout the time of mass vaccination was the unsteady availability of vaccines. This negatively impacted the operation of the vaccination centers, particularly their utilization and performance. Another burden in the implementation of the vaccination targets was the frequent lack of transparency and comprehensible communication in the dedicated guidelines for the vaccination order (prioritization). Nevertheless, the policy targets were entirely implemented.