…to surgeon and initiator Marlies Schijven
Surgeon Marlies Schijven was one of the founders of the website ‘prullenbakvaccin.nl’. Thousands of people have now been vaccinated at an accelerated pace as a result of this initiative. Three questions for this surgeon, who continues to talk to people who have doubts about covid vaccination.
How did the prullenbakvaccin.nl website come about?
‘In May last year I saw a photo of GP Marco Blanker on social media with a garbage can full of vaccine syringes. He couldn’t keep these, while he really wanted to give them to someone. I then shared the photo online and an enthusiastic web builder and a second general practitioner Bernard Leenstra responded. Within a weekend we had the website prullenbakvaccin.nl online. The website was visited 1.6 million times in the first week, which is an extremely high number. If there are any vaccines available from GPs or GGDs that have registered with us, they will be published on the website. This is how they are saved from the trash.’
How is the website now?
“The vaccination is now, of course, well underway. But vaccines are still offered every day on pullenbakvaccin.nl. Now also for the booster vaccination. Initially, only general practitioners participated, but now many GGDs are taking part. The site has helped thousands of people with a vaccine before.’
It is now much easier to get a vaccine than it was a few months ago. Yet some people still have doubts. How do you handle that?
The corona rules are always changing. People don’t understand it so well anymore and are losing confidence, also in the vaccines and boosters. As doctors, we need to talk to these people. I myself answer a lot of questions via social media. Some people honestly think there is a chip in the vaccine. Or are afraid that they will get a thrombosis, while the chance of a thrombosis if you get covid is really many times greater. It is important to explain what is right and what is wrong with regard to media coverage. You now hear a lot about people criticizing vaccines, but the silent majority just want to get vaccinated. And whether you’re for or against: everyone wants to get rid of the restrictions. Doctors should dare to discuss this much more actively with both proponents and opponents of vaccination. As a doctor, you have promised to do good for society. As far as I’m concerned, that doesn’t just apply in the consulting room or the OR. I will therefore always open my mouth.’
In May’s Plus Magazine, surgeon Marlies Schijven is featured in the section ‘On the breach’. In this she talks about digitization in healthcare.
