A GGD Fryslân team will arrive on the Islands to administer vaccines to elderly people and health workers
Translated by Thomas Ansell
As reported by the Friesch Dagblad, elderly people on the Wadden Islands can receive the Coronavirus vaccine without having to come to the mainland. A GGD Fryslân team will be visiting Ameland on Tuesday, Vlieland on Wednesday, and Schiermonnikoog on Thursday and Friday, with the national Ministry of Public Health, Wellbeing, and Sport (Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn, en Sport) giving their permission for the campaign yesterday.
The team will bring doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine to the Islands, whilst people of differing ages will be offered the jab depending on the island in question. Residents of Ameland and Terchelling aged 75 and up (and living at home) can receive the vaccine, but on Vlieland and Schiermonnikoog, anyone from 60 years and up will be inoculated. The difference comes down to differing population sizes; fewer live on Vlieland and Schiermonnikoog.
Vaccine distribution is taking place in concert with GPs, and residents are to be notified of their jab by letter, whilst care workers will be notified by their employers. Each letter will have a unique number that can be used to book an appointment, and people can book their second dose at the same time.
“The only thing that could complicate matters is the weather”, says GGD Director Margreet de Graaf. The Wadden Islands effort will add to the around 15,000 vaccinations that the GGD Fryslân has already carried out, with everyone over 80 having already received a letter inviting them for a vaccine. So far, most elderly people have received the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, though care workers have mostly received the AstraZenica jab.
Nils van Mourik, responsible for the vaccine rollout at the GGD Fryslân, says that “whilst at the moment you can only get vaccinated in Leeuwarden, we will shortly also open locations in Sneek and Drachten. After that we will open further centres in Dokkum, Koudum, Franeker; Heerenveen, and Oosterwolde.”
Image: a ferry arriving at Schiermonnikoog. By Zomaarwatzwerven via Pixabay
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