More than 85 percent of Familiehulp employees say yes to the covid-19 vaccine. A minority has doubts for medical reasons and also because they do not trust the vaccine.
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Familiehulp, the largest home care organization in Flanders and Brussels, can count on a great willingness to vaccinate among its employees. This is evident from a poll conducted internally by the care organization, in which more than a thousand employees took part. “We are very happy with that,” says Managing Director Ann Demeulemeester.
‘Our sector felt the impact of corona very strongly for a year. In the first instance, we focused strongly on the safety of our employees and safe care at home. With the vaccine on its way, we believe we also have a preventive responsibility towards the more than 80,000 people who receive support from our 13,000 employees. ‘
Of the 1,073 employees who answered the questions, 917 (85.5 percent) say they are willing to get vaccinated. They do so primarily because they want to take that responsibility towards customers and colleagues, and also because they look forward to a return to normal life.
Allergy and pregnancy
Only 21 employees (just under 2 percent) indicated that they did not want the vaccine. A larger group (135 people or 12.5 percent) does not want the vaccine yet. They give physical reasons for this: allergy, pregnancy or the desire to become pregnant. About eighty of these people are saying no for the time being because of not enough confidence in the covid vaccine. They first want to get more information about the side effects and possible allergies. They also want more knowledge about how the vaccine was developed.
“We will not hit those people,” says Demeulemeester. ‘We will continue to keep them informed, through newsletters, information on the website, and discussions with the social workers who guide them. Possibly also through e-learning: this year we discovered how much we can do with it. ‘
Two in three employees have indicated that they want to become ‘vaccination ambassadors’ towards their colleagues and their customers. Demeulemeester: ‘We think that we have a kind of authority function with the elderly and the families we support. They may be more likely to believe us. Our employees will also provide practical assistance to customers: they can accompany them to the vaccination center. They can also help you make the appointment. Apparently everyone will have to register on a website – for many people that is not as obvious as it seems. ‘
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