Roma residents of Iasi are still reluctant to vaccinate against COVID-19. They were taught in the family that the vaccine is not beneficial and now they strictly follow the teaching they grew up with. They found that coronavirus infection did not affect their community much and that they could do without the vaccine.
Young or old, Roma people in Iasi County do not even think about scheduling for coronavirus vaccination. Some still go to family doctors and are interested in the effectiveness of the vaccine, but leave as they came. Coronavirus is just another name given to seasonal flu, it is talked about among them, and the disease passes as easily as a cold.
The Roma community in Ciurea commune has about 1,000 people, and the one in Grajduri commune has 842. No member of the community has been vaccinated against COVID-19 so far. In the commune of Ciurea, a vaccination center has been open for more than a month, where the AstraZeneca serum is administered, during which time no Roma person has crossed the threshold. The fear of the unknown, the tradition with which they grew up as children when their parents refused to vaccinate them, keeps them away from any idea of immunization against coronavirus.
Coronavirus, another name for seasonal flu. The Roma community in the Stables is not afraid of infection
In Grajduri commune, from Iași county, there were several Roma people who became infected with coronavirus in the last year. The inhabitants say that they have overcome the disease well and now they continue their lives in peace. The principles and values with which they grew up will never allow them to accept a vaccine, be it one for an epidemic that is killing millions in the world.
“No gypsy will go to the doctor to say that he wants to be vaccinated, not even those who have been infected. He will always refuse. And 30-40 years ago the doctor came to vaccinate the child and they did not agree. I haven’t been vaccinated and I won’t. They were from the community here, from Grajduri, Ciurea, Hârlău. In our country, people think it’s a seasonal flu epidemic, not a coronavirus, as they call it now. 3-4 years ago it was called flu, there were symptoms of chills, sneezing, fever and we all knew it was the flu. With Paracetamol, a hot tea, we treat ourselves. Even with this disease, they were hospitalized for two or three days and took Paracetamol. They came home well “, says Ferdinand Feri Stănescu, the bulibașa of the Roma community from Grajduri commune, Iași county.
People are afraid of the COVID-19 vaccine. Family doctors are trying to persuade them to get immunized
The family doctors discussed with the Roma people about the vaccination campaign, but in the commune of Grajduri and in the commune of Ciurea no person from the community was immunized, at least so far.
“More jokingly, more seriously, a word is circulating in our community. We say that COVID-19 disease is afraid of gypsies and does not affect them. Now, for example, no one is infected. Even the oldest, who had other diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular problems were treated. When they went to the hospital, we thought that who knows if they would get better and after a few days they would come home and be treated for the disease.
There were no deaths, they were well. They are afraid of the vaccine, have had more serious illnesses and do not need it to be protected. There is so much talk about vaccination, that people are dying, that it has I don’t know what serious effects, and the authorities can’t expect them to go to the office after all that has happened. Gypsies will never be vaccinated “, Ferdinand Feri Stănescu also said.
The older ones avoid going outside, and the younger ones do not think that the disease will affect them. Why will people be secretly vaccinated?
While some are proud of the certificate of COVID-19 vaccination, for people in the Roma community the decision to immunize would be a shame. They have no particular reason to refuse coronavirus serum vaccination, but generally refuse any vaccine.
“If the vaccine becomes mandatory to go to another country, some will be vaccinated secretly, they will not make a big fuss about it, to find out the rest. There will be 10-20 young people who may want to go abroad and need to be immunized, but the rest will not. I don’t think it will become mandatory, maybe it will impose some conditions for which the youngest may not say no.
I am sure you will not hear that 50 percent or 60 percent of gypsies have been vaccinated against COVID-19, there will be far fewer. The elderly have chosen to stay at home, the young, who work, some distribute all kinds of goods, they can’t help but leave the house. But they saw that they have nothing, the disease passes easily, they were not seriously affected and they are not afraid of the virus ”, concludes the bulibașa from Grajduri commune, Iași county.
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