Germany's top health official is urging more citizens to get vaccinated, warning that if the vaccination numbers don't go up the country's hospitals may get overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients toward the end of the year, AP reports.

“We need at least five million vaccinations for a safe autumn and winter,” Health Minister Jens Spahn tweeted.

More than 61 per cent of the German population, or 50.9m people, are fully vaccinated, but that's less than in other European countries.

The daily vaccination rate has been dropping for weeks, while new infection cases have been going up again.