Polish government begins calling unvaccinated people to encourage registration   

The Polish health ministry has begun telephoning people who have not yet registered for a COVID-19 vaccination. It plans to make nearly a million calls, initially to those who have previously declared an interest in getting vaccinated but never made an appointment.

The move is the government’s latest attempt to boost the vaccination rate amid concerns over low take-up. On Thursday this week, it is launching a lottery in which fully vaccinated people can win prizes of up to a million zloty (€222,000).

All adults have been able to register for a vaccine since early May, with those aged 16 and above then 12 and above also becoming eligible soon after. Around 44% of the Polish population have had at least one dose of a vaccine, but “we are seeing a decline in interest”, says the health minister, Adam Niedzielski.

“Today we are beginning a campaign calling those people who have not yet vaccinated,” said Niedzielski on Friday, quoted by Rzeczpospolita. “Almost a million calls will be made…so don’t be surprised if the people who are not yet vaccinated receive a call.”

The minister explained that staff from the health ministry information line would offering to register people who are not yet vaccinated. They will “just have to answer questions” to confirm that they would like an appointment and the consultant will do the rest, he said.

Niedzielski added that the priority was to get through to people who have already expressed an interest in vaccination but not yet registered. Pre-registration was open between January and March, with those completing the online form then given priority registration.

He reiterated that vaccination is essential, particularly in dealing with the threat posed by the Delta variant of COVID-19, “because it protects 90% from hospitalisation and severe cases, so these are real effects”.

The government has been carrying out an advertising campaign, under the slogan “The Final Straight”, featuring sports stars and actors, and is also offering grants to municipalities to organise their own campaigns.

Last week, it announced details of a 140 million zloty (€31 million) lottery, due to launch this Thursday, offering cash prizes as well as hybrid cars and electric scooters as an additional incentive for people who have been vaccinated.

In May, the government urged doctors to contact patients over the age of 60 who have not yet registered for a coronavirus vaccine in order to encourage them to do so.

Despite these efforts, more than a third of people aged between 60 and 69 are still to be vaccinated, as well as 23% of those aged over 70, according to data released by the health ministry last week. But it is among the youngest age groups that fewest people are vaccinated: just 35% of those aged between 18 and 29.

The idea of making coronavirus vaccines compulsory has been floated by some officials, including the prime minister’s chief COVID-19 advisor.

The government has so far ruled this option out, with Jarosław Kaczyński – chairman of the ruling party and Poland’s de facto leader – saying that “you have to start with encouragement and persuasion”, but adding that it may be necessary to “risk a great deal politically if incentives are not enough”.

Main image credit: Krystian Maj/KPRM (under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Ben Koschalka

Ben Koschalka is a translator and senior editor at Notes from Poland. Originally from Britain, he has lived in Kraków since 2005.