Vaccinating at a football stadium

4,189. The total number of people we vaccinated against coronavirus in one day at a mass vaccination clinic at the Tottenham Hotspur football stadium in London.

This event took place at the end of June 2021 and was organised by a vaccine centre I had been working at. Anyone above the age of 18 was eligible to get the vaccine, without a booking or without healthcare insurance. Vaccinators were predominantly general practitioners and medical students. The day would not have been possible without the volunteers (my flatmate was one of them!) and I am incredibly grateful for being a part of such a marvellous event!

As I have mentioned before, I worked at a vaccine clinic in London from March to August. It was the first time since I had started my medical training that I felt like I am playing an active role in the healthcare system and that my doings have a real impact on the patients in front of me. I have learnt a lot during my time working there, from calming down anxious patients, to effective teamwork with other healthcare professionals. One skill that I have improved the most in is communication. I have led hundreds of conversations with patients about false information on the covid-19 vaccinations, why is it beneficial to get the vaccine and why did I decide to get vaccinated myself. In my opinion, the key is to find out what it is exactly the patients worry about. After that, it is about empathy and patience when explaining about the safety of the vaccines and their advantages overweighing the disadvantages. Yes, some of my patients refused their vaccinations, but it was always worth a try. On a final note, I would like to emphasise that getting vaccinated is one’s personal choice, however, I would recommend reading from trustworthy sources (e.g. research journals) as there are many false information out there.

Očkování na fotbalovém stadionu
Očkování na fotbalovém stadionu
Očkování na fotbalovém stadionu

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