COVID-19: AGE members keep the vaccination in their radar

COVID-Vaccination_demonstrators-PRO-image2.png

PRO demonstration in Sweden

Vaccination slowly progresses around Europe. AGE members keep providing information and support to vaccination policies… but also remain on the watch.

Lack of clarity on the priority groups

• In Portugal, APRe! alerted on the risks of failures of vaccination strategies following the frequent changes of the national COVID-19 vaccination plan. Their statement warns about the risk of leaving behind people vulnerable to serious forms of the disease as the government introduces new priority groups.
• In Sweden, PRO Stockholm organised a COVID-19-secured demonstration outside of the City Council to denounce that so few older people have been vaccinated. Out of the 60,000 people who have now been vaccinated in Stockholm, only 30 percent are over 70 years old.
• Similar concerns had been expressed by SPF Seniorerna and in other countries while people at higher risk of sever health outcomes didn’t appear among the priority groups to access vaccination.

Accessibility and affordability still high on the list of challenges

• In Austria, PVÖ expressed serious concerns that a Green Passport for people tested negative, recovered, or vaccination against COVID-19 will be implemented via smartphone only. Not all older people are equipped of smartphones: beyond the question of digital skills, PVÖ stressed the financial cost of such equipment. Austria will start using the passports from early April.
• In Spain, UDP Madrid held a virtual meeting to address the need to ensure access and affordability of vaccines and medicines to all after the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting echoed a current European Citizens’ Initiative asking the European Commission to do everything in its power to make anti-pandemic vaccines freely accessible to everyone.

Not the side effects that you think

• In Italy, ANAP shared concerns about scammers – especially women – showing up at people’s door pretending to be operators of the local health authority (ASUR Marche). Those impostors claims to check the health conditions and potential side effects related to the first dose of the vaccine. The association invites to call the police forces in case of any doubt.

Earlier this year, the same association had already reported cases of older people in the region of Tuscany receiving phone proposals to be administered an anti-COVID vaccine directly at home.

For more information, visit our webpage dedicated to:

• AGE members react to COVID-19 vaccination (February 2021)
• Official resources on COVID-19 vaccination
• COVID-19 and older people

Your organisation has published a communication about COVID-19 vaccination?
Do not hesitate to keep us informed and share your news (including in original language) with Estelle: estelle.huchet@age-platform.eu