Today at 8 p.m. the vaccination lines close the doors after two years on the day the demand is steadily falling. This week there were only two vaccinations, so more Styrians than usual seized the last chance to get vaccinated. We asked around on the vaccination route from Graz.
It’s November 6, 2021: On Impfstraße near the Graz Exhibition Center, the queue stretches across the Jakomini Belt to the Stadthalle. 32 doctors put the Jaukerl in piecework, 100 employees help. This is still being tested continuously. On that day, 6,760 people in Styria picked up the sting, sometimes even the vaccine had run out.
February 28, 2023: Same location in the state capital, on Graz’s Impfstraße, people “drip” in only sporadically, the huge halls gape empty. Almost every visitor is personally greeted by the staff. Even FFP2 masks are available for free at the entrance – which employees used to protect like the apple of their own eye.
“We had 500 vaccinations a week for the past month,” says Gerald Lichtenegger of the Corona Pandemic Management of the state of Styria. The 500 spread across all 13 white-and-green vaccine lanes, mind you. The demand from Styria is simply too low, which is why the last curtain falls today for free vaccination. “There is no gap in the supply because GPs vaccinate in 620 Styrian practices,” Lichtenegger emphasizes. All vaccines are available there, but vaccine management remains in the hands of the country.
Last working day: doctor vaccinated 15,000 Styrians
Doctor Bernhard Galli, who had started vaccinating in July 2021, had his last working day in Graz’s Impfstrasse on Tuesday. His areas of work were vaccination routes in the regions, he also toured the whole country with the vaccination bus. Especially in communities with a low vaccination rate and high incidence, it was said: “Next stop: Corona vaccination.” Doctor’s file: about 15,000 stitches. “The conversations with the people in the vaccination booths were especially important in the phase where vaccination was mandatory. I explained the benefits and usefulness of the vaccination,” Galli recalls this “not an easy time”.
And not always people burst into a storm of enthusiasm when the vaccination bus arrived. “We were often greeted unfriendly.” There was dirty graffiti with sidewalk chalk on the asphalt and banners with violent slogans. “People also came in the mail with information material that said how bad the vaccination is,” Galli recalls.
Most chose Pfizer-Jaukerl
Which vaccine was the “hit”? He used Pfizer doses for most stitches, and inactivated vaccines were rarely in demand. The older generation in particular was willing to be vaccinated: “Protection was important to them.”
This is also reflected in our local inspection: it is mainly pensioners who come to the Graz exhibition hall. Like the couple Heidi and Wolfgang Geymayer: “We have grandchildren and great-grandchildren when they are babies, so you have to be very careful.” Anton Schuller seizes the last chance to get the shot to the vaccination line. “I have been vaccinated several times. Thank God I never had Corona.” Margaret Gruber also comes for this reason – 700 people throughout Styria received the vaccination with her on Tuesday in the “vaccination road final”.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
