On Friday, the campaign of providing information on vaccination at stands all over Slovenia began, which is organised by the Government Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia, in cooperation with the National Institute of Public Health and the Ministry of Health. It started with a stand on the Prešeren Square, where representatives of the medical profession, local community and the government, as well as students of the medical faculty, answered any questions and responded to all doubts related to vaccination, as well as helped visitors with the registration process if they asked them to do so. They want to make sure that the citizens of Slovenia are well informed when it comes to the vaccines, vaccinations and registration process, and they also respond to possible dilemmas and fears. The stand in Ljubljana was even visited by Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
As part of the “Let’s spread good habits – let’s get vaccinated” campaign, many new people applied for vaccination in just two days since it has been launched, including older people who did not know how to register. Some of the people who came to visit the stand have already been vaccinated and only came there to share their positive experience. The campaign was also supported by the Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who also spoke, among other things, about the situation in Portugal. “We already have over five million people vaccinated, and the vaccine is extremely important for both the health of the individual and the public good, to take care of others as well. We are all facing the same challenges, and that is why I am urging young people to get vaccinated, don’t miss out on this,” he said.
Being properly informed is crucial for people’s trust in vaccines, as there is a lot of false information circulating. And what are the main concerns of the people regarding vaccination? “It is not just about blood clots; it is about the claims that some vaccines are better, some worse. In reality, however, protection against the more severe forms of infection is very similar in all four vaccines. They offer more than 95-percent protection against the need for hospitalisation,” said the head of the advisory group at the Ministry of Health, Dr Mateja Logar.
Low probability of severe side effects
As for the severe side effects after vaccination, according to Logar, the risk is four in a million in the group of those older than 50 and 11 in a million among the younger population. At the same time, for example, the risk of a car accident is 40 in a million for those over the age of fifty and 60 in a million for the younger population. Even the risk of being struck by lightning is one in a million, she added, so the numbers need to be put in the right perspective, she added. “Paracetamol is also the main cause of liver failure in the United States, and we still take it,” she pointed out.
There was a lot going on at the Ljubljana stand
The stand in Ljubljana was also visited by the mayor Zoran Janković, who said that it was nice to see the medical students recommending getting vaccinated. “I have already been vaccinated with both doses, which is normal given my age.” A 75-year-old-lady was so happy she was finally able to apply for vaccination that she even danced a little. And an elderly humorous lady confirmed that laughter is the best medicine when she said that, since she was vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine, she is now very modern. Many passers-by also expressed their support for vaccination and praised the whole process. “The vaccination process is organised very well. We should be happy that everything is running smoothly, as you do not have to wait long, and at the same time, you are well-informed. All of the protesting and spreading of misinformation is inadmissible,” one passer-by said.
Anita Gužvič
