Medics take vaccines to lakeside residents

In order to help residents of the remote shores of Weishan Lake in Shandong province get COVID-19 vaccinations, Weishan county sent medical professionals to administer shots, with a special focus on the elderly.

Going to get vaccinated was inconvenient, but now the vaccine is coming to them.

"Before, we needed to get to a medical center in the town or county to get vaccinated. That meant taking a boat and then a bus, more than an hour of travel," said Zhou Xuexiang, a resident of Yanhebei village in Gaolou town who was recently vaccinated.

Of the 16 villages belonging to Gaolou town, 10 include people living in lake areas, some of whom live on boats and others on platforms built on the shoreline.

In Huxing, a site was set up to vaccinate villagers in late December.

Those seeking a shot were asked about their medical history to ensure they were eligible for vaccination and afterward, they were monitored for 30 minutes in case of any adverse reactions.

Weishan has sent 82 teams to villages where residents have difficulty traveling, the county's health commission said.

As of December, 96 percent of people aged 60 to 79 had been vaccinated, while the figure for the over-80s was 93 percent, the commission said.

In addition, Weishan has organized medical teams including family doctors. They visit lakeside villages every month to teach about epidemic prevention and control and public health to boost awareness of ways to stay safe from the coronavirus.

The teams also provide villagers with free clinical services and health consultations.