According to the Health Service in the Canary Islands (SCS) 400,000 people, which is 20% of the target population of the islands, have not yet received their first dose of a Covid vaccination, and although vaccination is voluntary, they believe that many people have been misled about vaccines so will be contacting many of them to find out why they are not coming forward to have one, as their collaboration is needed to return to normality.
The SCS will question them by phone about the reasons why they have not requested an appointment to be inoculated, and the health workers will be able to help them overcome their indecision. "This initiative will provide us with the information on whether or not they want to be vaccinated, why not, and whoever has doubts will be able to dispel them", explains Begoña Reyero, Coordinator of the Canary Islands vaccination plan.
For now, health workers who are starting to call unvaccinated patients are receiving all kinds of responses, “very few people so far have said that they don’t want to be vaccinated, but there are many who want to postpone it for the summer, fearing that any adverse effects will interfere with their holidays, whereas if they catch the virus that will have far more of an effect! On the other hand, there are some people that get angry because they don't want to be called,” says Reyero.
This slowdown in the vaccination campaign has been seen more in the population aged between 25 and 45 years old, explains Reyero. In fact, she maintains that in a couple of weeks those between 12 and 19 years old with their first jab, will have almost reached the same percentage of vaccination of those between 40 and 49 years old.
As of yesterday, 54.3% of the youngest age group, the last one to join the vaccination plan, have already had their first jab compared to 53% of twenty-somethings and 57% of those between 40 and 49 years old.
The impact of the fifth wave has proved that vaccination has served to reduce the fatality and serious forms of the disease. Although it is also showing that Covid "touches everyone and puts unvaccinated people at higher risk and in ICU, and among the deceased who thought it would not affect them because of their age," she says.
In any case, she affirms that “vaccines are being effective and safe. Whoever does not want to have one surely has false beliefs", but adds that dismantling prejudices takes time, so "we must continue to put the evidence on the table."
In addition, it appeals to the social and personal responsibility of citizens. “If we want to reach a certain normality, we have no other control measure than vaccination. If you do not participate in this, then you cannot complain that the economy is not taking off and that this has no end. You have to ask yourself: What am I doing to get out of this?” Reyero adds.
