Not to compare
The vaccination rate in Urk is very low, explains Van Slooten. ‘The map of the Netherlands is largely blue, then there is a small dot, that is Urk, and that is bright red. But Urk cannot be compared with other municipalities in the bible beltBecause that already has a much larger group of import residents around it, you don’t have that in Urk.
There is a lot of talk about the corona crisis and vaccination in Urk, says Van Slooten. ‘After the outbreak of corona, there was a lot of talk about the virus. It is conversations among themselves or at work and in family circles, which are very important in Urk. There is also a lot of discussion on social media. Especially the opponents are making themselves heard.’
Mentality
The critics can be divided into two groups, says Van Slooten. “You have people who don’t get vaccinated for religious reasons, and you have people who don’t get vaccinated for all sorts of other reasons. People who doubt its reliability think that the vaccine contains poison or does not help at all.’
Van Slooten thinks that this sentiment is more alive in Urk than in other parts of the Netherlands. ‘I have the feeling that it is also pronounced stronger, also in strong terms.’ He recognizes some aspects of the mistrust in the vaccine from the mentality of the municipality. ‘Urkers don’t care too much about what the government tells them. You see that in the field of corona, but also in other topics. That will be magnified in the corona period.’
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