Key Differences Between GGDs in Actions to Increase Vaccination Coverage

One GGD has been pricking pop-up vaccination sites in community centers or at markets for several months, while the other GGD hasn’t (yet) come out. The numbers are paying off: Since June, vaccine distribution centers have vaccinated thousands of people outside of their usual vaccination sites. These are, for example, skeptics who wanted to ask some additional questions, or people who are afraid of phone calls or injections or have a busy schedule.

Since June 2, 1,500 people have been vaccinated in the GGD Fryslân Bulletin Fund at various sites. This way you can remove barriers to skeptics. “We don’t put energy into people who don’t really want to be vaccinated,” says a company spokesperson. For some, calling and scheduling an appointment is complicated. Others would like to speak to a doctor. Still others find the site of regular vaccination too extensive.

On the other hand, GGD groups in Flevoland, Gelderland North-East, Gelderland-South and Groningen will begin grafting outside vaccination sites as soon as possible in September. “We are still in the planning stage, in consultation with the municipalities,” says GGD spokesperson Gelderland Noord-Oost. Both GGD Drenthe and GGD Gooi en Vechtstreek believe that mobile vaccination is not necessary in their area. “Anyone who contacts us can visit the regular vaccination sites on the same day,” says a GGD Drenthe spokesperson.

own course

There are differences because public healthcare in the Netherlands is organized regionally. “GGDs have the expertise to identify what is needed in their area,” says a spokesperson for Minister Hugo de Jonge (Public Health). In this way, GGDs, in cooperation with municipalities, can define their own path, for example through actions targeted at residents with immigrant backgrounds. Among them, the willingness to pollination is lower on average, just as it is among the inhabitants of the Bible Belt.

In recent weeks, GGDs in the four major cities have already organized several vaccination options in neighborhoods with many immigrants and educated residents. “Sometimes the place is very busy, sometimes no interested party comes,” says project leader Aukje Elzenga of GGD Haaglanden. For example, GGD was inoculated in a Ghanaian church and a Chinese restaurant. “We vaccinated a hundred people there.”

GGD Hollands Midden, GGD Hart voor Brabant and GGD Zuid-Holland-Zuid also took many additional shots this way. GGD Zaanstreek Waterland has vaccinated more than 2,200 people in the injection box, most of whom are residents of Volendam and Zaandam. Zeeland will begin vaccinating on Wednesday at temporary sites in Reimerswaal and Tholen, where the vaccination rate is lagging. Relatively many of the population are purely Christian.

There is no vaccination promotion team

GGD West Brabant vaccinated more than a thousand people in the first week using Breda’s syringe box and Bergen op Zoom, among others. “Then we have contact with the youth and the imam in advance, for example, and attach the posters,” says a spokesperson. Sometimes you see people looking at us from a distance and wanting to ask us some questions first. This is what we are for. We are not a vaccination promotion team.

GGD Umbrella GGD GHOR recognizes the key differences in the micro-retinal grafting approach. But the umbrella organization does not track the progress of the various GGDs. “Problems can vary from region to region,” a spokesperson says. “It is up to the districts themselves to address this matter with the municipal authorities.”