The Swedish Public Health Agency states that foreign-born have been hit harder than Swedish-born by covid-19 and that the proportion who are vaccinated against covid is lower among foreign-born.
- We are working to try to reach these groups, it is not easy.
Further efforts and measures are needed here, said state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell at a press conference last week.
In Skåne, vaccine coordinator Maria Landgren and her colleagues are considering how to proceed.
- There are differences between health centers in Skåne and we will invest in information in different languages to reach these groups.
Concerns about side effects
Halimo Nuur works in Rosengårds Folkets hus.
She is the operations manager of the non-profit cultural association Wadajir and meets people from different countries.
Some say they have been vaccinated, others that they do not intend to do so.
- It is good that they inform, but we have had the pandemic for a year so it is not information that is missing, says Halimo Nuur.
She adds:
- People are not stupid but there is great concern about taking the vaccine.
Foreign-born affected
The desire to get vaccinated looks different depending on where in the world you were born.
This applies to both groups that have been vaccinated during phase 1 and the groups that are being vaccinated now.
- I met an elderly lady from Africa who told me that she had been vaccinated.
Fantastic, I told her.
But for those who choose not to get vaccinated, it is important to see them as people and not as foreign-born, says Halimo Nuur.
She does not want foreign-born people in Sweden to feel singled out or pressured to do something they do not want to do.
Choose those who live in the area
When Region Skåne is to provide targeted information to specific groups in society, Halimo Nuur thinks that they should hire labor in the selected districts.
- It is important to hire people for this work who come from the area. Get help from imams, priests and others who are on site at all times.