Germany has rejected claims by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that doctors and patients were prosecuted for COVID-19 vaccine or mask exemptions. Health Minister Nina Warken said prosecutions were limited to fraud and forged documents, and that there was no obligation for doctors to administer COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy provided no specific evidence for his allegations, and former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach defended Germany's independent courts and urged Kennedy to address domestic U.S. health issues.
Germany Firmly Denies RFK Jr.'s Claim That Doctors Were Prosecuted Over COVID-19 Vaccine Exemptions
FILE - Robert Kennedy Jr., center, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Health and Human Services Department, walks between meetings with senators on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
BERLIN — The German government has strongly rejected claims made by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that physicians and patients were prosecuted for issuing or receiving COVID-19 vaccine or mask exemptions.
Government Response
German Health Minister Nina Warken called the allegations 'completely unfounded, factually incorrect, and must be rejected.' Warken said there was never an obligation for doctors to administer COVID-19 vaccinations and that physicians who chose not to offer vaccines for medical, ethical, or personal reasons were not subject to professional sanctions.
'Criminal prosecution was only pursued in cases of fraud and document forgery, such as the issuance of false vaccination certificates or fake mask certificates,' Warken said.
Kennedy's Claim And Lack Of Evidence
Kennedy — a prominent vaccine critic and public figure in the United States, not an official U.S. health minister — posted a video saying he had sent Warken a letter claiming that 'more than a thousand German physicians and thousands of their patients now face prosecution and punishment' for issuing exemptions during the pandemic. He did not cite specific cases or publicly provide verifiable evidence to substantiate that figure.
Former Health Minister's Reply
Karl Lauterbach, who served as Germany's health minister during the pandemic, also responded directly on X (formerly Twitter), urging Kennedy to focus on domestic U.S. health issues and defending Germany's independent courts. Lauterbach emphasized that doctors are not punished by the government for issuing medical certificates and reiterated that prosecutions relate to fraudulent documents rather than legitimate medical decisions.
Context
During the pandemic a majority of Germans accepted vaccination, though a vocal minority opposed mandates or vaccines and sometimes found support from far-right groups. German authorities say enforcement actions centered on documentary fraud — for example, forged vaccination or mask exemptions — not on physicians exercising clinical judgement or patients making personal medical choices.
Key takeaway: German officials reject RFK Jr.'s allegations and say legal action focused on fraud and forgery, not legitimate medical exemptions or therapeutic choices.
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