Extremadura has completed an ambitious Covid vaccination drive for people with need for daily assistance who do not live in care homes.

The Covid vaccination drive was scheduled to begin at 10am at the Wine and Olive museum in Almendralejo, a town of 33,855 people in Badajoz province in Spain’s western Extremadura region. But people began to arrive half an hour earlier. The mood at the venue, which was converted last week into a vaccination center, was a mix of hope and nerves. It was time to vaccinate adults who need daily assistance but do not live in care facilities. Some waited outdoors, sitting in their wheelchairs, others inside of cars. All were accompanied by their carers. Lorenzo García, a 93-year-old man in a wheelchair, summed up the general feeling: “I will no longer be afraid of the bug.”

Under a scorching sun, two police officers controlled the atypical traffic to the museum. A few meters away, nurse Manuel Romero waited at the entrance. He explained that the adults would be vaccinated in order of the list: 24 people every 30 minutes. Since the first vaccination day for this priority group was held last Tuesday, impatience has been growing for the next one. Despite this, everyone remained respectful.

Family played a key role on the day. Inés Guerrero wrapped a scarf around her mother, Carmen Álvarez, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. She gently explained to her 86-year-old mother that she was one of the “fortunate” people who would receive the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine: “The day has finally come!” Next to her was Ana Guijarra, a 74-year-old woman with reduced mobility. She was able to move thanks to her walker and husband, Manuel Retamar, who was there to support her like he has been doing “every day for the last 30 years.”

Extremadura last week took on the challenge of vaccinating 7,000 adults with need for daily care who are not in residences, and their professional carers in a week. This group included people who need help to carry out basic tasks, recognized as Grade III dependents under the Law of Dependency, those who have asked to be recognized in this category and those who, without having made any request, are accredited with suffering from a disease which requires them to have significant support measures.

Thanks to the support of family and health workers, the vaccination day was “surprisingly easy,” said the coordinator of the drive, Paula Salamanca. Red Cross teams, which facilitated up to 300 trips to the center, were also key. Salamanca said that it all comes down to teamwork: “If one of us fails, we all fail.”