Germany’s COVID inquiry probes ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’ controversy and political failures

Did Germany’s leaders mishandle the pandemic? A new inquiry revisits explosive claims and missed opportunities—with lessons for the next global health crisis.

, and Administrator

2025 November 11 . 7:03 PM

1 min read

In this image we can see few people standing and a person is holding a vaccine bottle and there is... — In this image we can see few people standing and a person is holding a vaccine bottle and there is a calendar and text on the image.

Wieler: No 'Pandemic of the Unvaccinated' - Germany’s COVID inquiry probes ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’ controversy and political failures

Thuringia's COVID-19 inquiry committee is delving into political missteps and failures during the pandemic. The committee is also tasked with developing recommendations for future crises and pandemics.

The committee's investigation includes examining the use of the phrase 'Pandemie der Ungeimpften' (pandemic of the unvaccinated) by then-Health Minister Jens Spahn. Spahn used this term in a September 2021 tweet, urging vaccination and stating that 'everyone who can should get their protection'. However, the exact date of this tweet is not provided in the available search results.

Lothar Wieler, the former president of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), testified before the committee. He clarified that the RKI had never considered COVID-19 to be a 'pandemic of the unvaccinated'. Wieler stressed that the RKI had always maintained that vaccination was crucial but did not single out the unvaccinated as the sole cause of the pandemic's spread.

The Thuringia COVID-19 inquiry committee continues its investigation into political actions during the pandemic. The committee aims to learn from past missteps and develop recommendations for future crises, ensuring a more effective response to potential pandemics.