A long line of stylish young people waits patiently in front of one of the famous techno clubs in the city, a typical Berlin scene but with a small difference: they did not come to dance, but to get vaccinated.
To encourage young people to take the plunge, the city decided to host three techno parties this week at one of the city’s nightclubs.
The Arena club in Alt-Treptow, in the east of the German capital, already has experience in the matter: after the closure of nightclubs due to the pandemic, it became one of the five mass vaccination centers in the capital
While the DJ mixes at his table, the lights and lighting flashes revolve around the patients who have just received their dose of the vaccine, and who wait the necessary time after the injection before being able to go home.
– “Berlin experience” –
The idea of combining music and vaccines came from Markus Nisch, who runs the vaccination center installed by the Red Cross at the Arena club.
“At first, we had limited expectations,” says Nisch, “but the waiting line stretches there,” he explains, reaching out to the dozens of people waiting outside.
About 420 people came to get vaccinated at the first party. The club received 1,500 doses for the three parties, according to the Berlin Health Ministry.
The message quickly spread through social media. “I saw it on Instagram, many people had shared it,” says Olga Kapuskina, 27, who recently moved to the capital.
“Getting vaccinated at a party is a Berlin experience,” he jokes.
Germany started its vaccination campaign at a good pace in the spring (boreal), managing to administer more than a million daily vaccines, but the punctures slowed down with the arrival of summer.
Around 52 million people already have at least one dose in Germany (62.5% of the population), according to the latest information from the Robert Koch Institute, in charge of monitoring public health.
– Motivate young people –
To push those who are reluctant to get vaccinated, since it is not considering making it mandatory, Angela Merkel’s government announced on Tuesday the end of free tests from October 11.
People who refuse to be vaccinated will have to pay a test that shows that they are negative for covid-19 to be able to go, for example, to the cinema, the restaurant or the gym.
But it is not only sought to repress. “We need to reach out to the very young now, motivate them and convince them to get vaccinated,” said Dilek Kalayci, Berlin’s health minister.
The authorities are betting on creativity to distribute the doses. Beyond the Club Arena initiative, Berlin organized vaccination centers in parking lots of Ikea stores, which are heavily frequented by Germans at the weekend.
In Saxony, where the vaccination rate is the lowest in Germany, a municipality offered free sausages to every vaccinated person. Campaigns were also carried out in football stadiums, to attract fans.
“It is my first dose of vaccine,” explains Oriane Dosda, 23, in Berlin. “I was a little nervous, but I told myself that I had to do it one day.”
In addition to music, young people see the practical side: no need to do paperwork or make an appointment.
“I had problems making an appointment before, everything is easy here,” confirms Claudio Keil, a 26-year-old teacher from Berlin. “I came mainly for the vaccine, the music makes it more pleasant.”
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