One shot at a time: Albania battles the vaccine skeptics
Associated PressSUKTH, Albania — There’s hardly any home in Albania’s Sukth distict where Ndricim Rahi and Anila Shameti have not injected someone with vaccines or given them other medical treatments during their 30 years as nurses. Yet despite their deep local contacts, they and other medical workers in the economically struggling Balkan nation are finding it a tough challenge to counter the superstitions, conspiracy theories on television and social media, and general vaccine skepticism in the region and convince locals that now, before winter, is the time to get a vaccine shot. “With my health, suffering from diabetes and who knows what else at this age, the vaccine is a strong weapon in my body,” a bearded 69-year old Mezit Jahjolli said after taking his booster shot. People may be reluctant to get shots even though medical workers say many do accept the fact that unvaccinated people often suffer worse infections than vaccinated ones. the superstitions and conspiracies.” Still, a middle-aged man who said on the phone that he would get a vaccine shot declined to do it once he saw journalists at his apartment along with the medics.
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