Succesful Erasmus MC students campaign to get people vaccinated in Delfshaven

Students from Erasmus MC volunteer in the vaccination centre at the Markt Visserijplein in Delfshaven. They inform people about the importance of vaccination to decrease the spread of Covid-19.

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The local campaign to get people vaccinated started back in May 2021 by a group of general practitioners in the Delfshaven area. Students take part by answering questions from the public about the vaccine as well as the pandemic. Some of the questions that they get revolve around the practicality of getting vaccinated, such as how to get a QR code. Medical student Jeanne Arnold mentions how sometimes people have fears and doubts about the vaccine that they’re too scared to speak up about. “They can just come here and ask any question . We don’t judge people about their thoughts.”

Less accessibility to vaccinations

André Steffens, one of the general practitioners that started the campaign, mentions the importance of building trust with the community by helping them out with any issues regarding the vaccination. According to him, the feedback on the campaign has been very positive, as the average of people getting vaccinated in the area is higher than the Rotterdam average. This is quite an achievement, because they ran into several challenges while campaigning.

According to medical student Fien Lobée, the biggest challenge is to inform people who don’t speak Dutch or English. “We have people who speak other languages and provide forms in several languages ”. Jeanne also adds that it can be difficult to reach the lower-income community of Delfshaven. Having the centre in the area allows the community to have easier access to vaccination. “There was a man who didn’t have the money to go to the vaccination location. Our vaccination centre allows anyone to come in without having to go far.”