* Merkel, state leaders agree measures to speed vaccinations
* Germany's vaccination rate lags other countries
* Minister warns vaccinations alone won't contain 3rd wave
(Recasts with Merkel comments after meeting with state leaders
on vaccinations)
BERLIN, March 19 (Reuters) - Germany will supply general
practitioners with vaccines and deliver additional doses to
regions on the Czech and French borders as it seeks to get its
roll out back on track following a three-day pause in using the
AstraZeneca shot.
"The motto is vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate," German
Chancellor Angela Merkel said after a meeting with the leaders
of Germany's 16 federal states.
Case numbers have been rising in Germany, driven by an
easing of restrictions in recent weeks just as a more
transmissible variant of the virus has spread, underlining the
need to accelerate vaccinations to protect the vulnerable.
The suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine was the latest
hurdle in Germany's vaccination campaign, which has been plagued
by delivery delays and news reports of side-effects. As of
Friday, just 8.5% of the population had received a first shot,
far behind other countries like the United States and Britain.
Health Minister Jens Spahn earlier on Friday warned that
vaccinations alone would not be able to contain the third wave
of the pandemic as there are not enough doses, and said
restrictions that were lifted may have to be reimposed to
contain the spread of the virus.
(Reporting by Caroline Copley, Thomas Escritt, Paul Carrel;
Writing by Caroline Copley and Maria Sheahan; Editing by Paul
Simao and Kirsti Knolle)