Many elderly people would like to receive a new vaccination against the coronavirus. There is much less enthusiasm among young people. The new vaccination campaign starts on Monday. The repeat shot should help protect people in case a new corona wave comes in the autumn or winter.
The Kieskompas conducted a survey for the ANP and LocalFocus between 31 August and 12 September among approximately 9,000 people. Of the people who are eligible for the repeat shot, 58.9 percent will be vaccinated “definitely” or “probably”. Furthermore, 32.2 percent decided for themselves that they would “definitely not” or “probably not” be vaccinated this time. These are people who have previously been vaccinated, and could therefore now also receive the repeat shot. The remaining 8.9 percent do not know yet.
Among the over-65s, 80.9 percent want to be re-vaccinated. This is much lower in the group of people aged 50 to 64. There, 59.6 percent want to get the repeat shot. It is 48.4 percent among 35 to 49 year olds and 45.8 percent among 18 to 34 year olds. In previous vaccination rounds, the turnout was also highest among the elderly and lowest among young people and young adults.
The vaccination round starts with people who are most at risk of becoming seriously ill with a corona infection. They were also given priority. These are, for example, the elderly and people with Down syndrome. People who work in healthcare also get their turn earlier, to prevent healthcare from getting bogged down in a new wave.
There are about a hundred vaccination sites spread across the country. They are located in central places, where many people can be vaccinated in a short time and which are fairly easily accessible.
When the masses have passed, some GGD regions want to switch to smaller locations to vaccinate people who previously did not come to the injection site. Gelderland-Zuid, for example, says: “When the campaign is under pressure, we will also deploy staff again to start vaccinating on a mobile basis.” Zeeland wants to “tour various village houses and other locations” later in the autumn to vaccinate Zeeland. Hollands Midden has ‘mobile vaccination teams’. Those people “bring the vaccines to residents in healthcare facilities and non-mobile home residents so they don’t have to come to our locations.”
Other regions mainly focus on information. For example, Noord- en Oost-Gelderland wants to approach “hard to reach groups” in “neighborhoods where the vaccination rate is lagging behind”. The GGD Amsterdam also wants to “be present in the neighborhoods in places where we reach many people whose vaccination coverage is lower”. Drenthe suggests that general practitioners can provide additional information in areas “where the willingness to vaccinate appears to be less”. Gelderland-Midden itself provides information “to vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, the low-literate and non-native speakers”, in order to increase the willingness to vaccinate.
By: ANP | Photo: ANP