#CraiovaDefeatsThePandemic. The vaccination marathon, a proof of civic spirit and solidarity
Craiova hosts, these days, the Vaccination Marathon, which takes place until May 17, 24 hours a day, with the Pfizer serum, without appointment, to offer the opportunity to all citizens who want to get vaccinated to do so. Everything takes place at the "Ion Oblemenco" Stadium, which has become a home, for seven days and nights, for doctors, soldiers, volunteers and all the institutions involved.
The campaign is carried out in partnership between the Prefect's Institution - Dolj County, Craiova City Hall, Council Dolj County, Dolj Public Health Directorate, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, University of Craiova, National Society of Family Medicine and National Committee for Coordination of Activities on Vaccination against COVID-19.
By Wednesday afternoon, about 48 hours after the start of the marathon, more than 1,500 people had chosen to be vaccinated at the centre of the "Ion Oblemenco" Stadium, which, for those involved, means an encouraging number, which continues to grow even in these moments.
But beyond these figures, behind the vaccination campaign are people and stories, but also the reasons that made everyone leave the house and get vaccinated. We saw, along with the other volunteers, people determined to resume their lives and regain their old habits that the pandemic prevented them from having. And joining such an approach with a simple gesture of normalcy says a lot about the community we live in.
Vaccination no longer means - or should no longer mean - fear, dread and false news injected into society, but it means a dose of hope, with visible effect, that will make us embrace our loved ones again and say "goodbye" to the last year and a half.
Only a close community, we can even call it "family", can work wonders; that's what we felt at the vaccination marathon: volunteer students passionate about what they do, dedicated doctors and citizens who took a break to listen to the voices that really matter and came to get vaccinated.
Did we need a pandemic to show that we were all in a big match with a virus that put our lives on hold? Probably yes or maybe no. But we know something concrete: we have a reality and the possibility to change it with the simple gesture of vaccinating ourselves.
What you need to know if you haven't been vaccinated yet:
- Vaccination is free in any centre in the country, only based on your presence, with your ID;
- Doctors and volunteers are there for you non-stop, including pre- and post-vaccination;
- The sting doesn't hurt at all – trust us;
- With each vaccinated person, the relaxation of restrictions is approaching and a better future is foreseen for each of us.
The wonderful people from the "Ion Oblemenco" Stadium are waiting for you day and night to immunize yourself, until May 17th, and to live the experience of this vaccine as a team work, together with all those who dedicate their time to this process. Together, only together, we can defeat an invisible enemy that has taken almost everything from us, but not the solidarity that, somehow, we manage to keep untouched.
Photos: Dolj Prefect's Institution, discoverdolj.ro