Romani-inhabited housing estate Luník IX in Slovakia sees start of local vaccinations against COVID-19

Residents of the Luník IX housing estate in Košice, Slovakia, were able to get vaccinated locally against the COVID-19 disease at the beginning of this week when the mobile vaccination service of the Košice Regional Authority, which is attempting to support immunity against COVID-19 among marginalized groups, made the vaccines available directly at the local authority. Vaccinations will be offered on a weekly basis at Luník IX. 

The first to get the vaccine at Luník IX was the mayor of the municipal department, Romani community member Marcel Šaňa. "I wanted to set an example for the others, that's why I was the first to get the vaccine," he told news server cas.sk.

"For today's vaccination we had 120 people apply, but I firmly hope more will gradually apply so we can achieve collective immunity sooner or later. This is the only way we can protect our health and that of other people," Šaňa said. 

Šaňa also said many locals are concerned about the vaccine, especially because of conspiracy theories and disinformation spreading on social media. "We will be informing people through local radio and with the aid of field social workers and distributing fliers in Slovak and Romanes," Šaňa told the news server.  

The Mayor of Košice and Šaňa are planning promotional competitions through which those getting the vaccine will be given coupons that can be used to buy clothes and groceries. In the Czech Republic, mobile vaccination teams are also aiding people living in the excluded localities of the Moravian-Silesian Region and the Ústecký Region, and last week the mobile vaccination team was active in the locality of Mojžíř there.