Companies call home work a guard • Red Cross gives advice to young people afraid of needles

Now that more and more young people are getting vaccinated, the Red Cross is seeing something striking: young people pass out more often than others who have an injection. “In recent weeks there has been a noticeable trend in first aid posts at various vaccination locations,” the aid organization said.

They notice it, among other places, at the injection site in Enschede. Rescuer Jeroen says the young people are sometimes very tense. “They come on an empty stomach and sometimes it’s just as hot or stuffy outside,” he says. A Red Cross employee in Zwolle notices the same thing. “I sometimes notice that young people are very nervous. Maybe it is because they are less used to receiving injections.”

If someone does not feel well after an injection, they may be helped by a first aid provider. “We then take them to a room where they can lie down for a while, relax, have a drink of water or take some glucose. They often recover quickly,” Jeroen explains.

The Red Cross advises people to eat and drink something before vaccination. People who are afraid of passing out are asked to say so in advance. “Please tell us if you are scared. It is still possible to get stung while lying down.”