Salvation Army in Denmark Enables Vulnerable People to Receive COVID Vaccination

THE Salvation Army’s community centre in Aalborg, Denmark, has been a hub for administering COVID-19 vaccine to homeless and other vulnerable people.

A vaccine being givenTHE Salvation Army’s community centre in Aalborg, Denmark, has been a hub for administering COVID-19 vaccine to homeless and other vulnerable people this week. The church and charity enjoys a good reputation in the city, having developed excellent working relationships with other non-governmental organisations and the local municipality authorities.

Every day, the community centre – with its convenient central location in the city – is used by a variety of different groups. The Salvation Army also offers breakfast and Danish hygge (a warm, cosy and friendly place to be) from Monday to Friday.

On 25 February, arrangements were made for more than 60 homeless and vulnerable people to receive their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine – the first to be approved by the European Medicines Agency. The injections were administered by suitably-trained medical professionals, including a doctor and The Salvation Army’s corps (church) secretary Sonja Christensen, a retired nurse. Recipients were then welcomed into The Salvation Army’s church hall, where they were able to enjoy free tea, coffee and homemade cake. People were encouraged to remain – appropriately socially-distanced – for 15-20 minutes so that observers could safely check that there were no unexpected reactions to the inoculation.

Once all the recipients had received their inoculation, the outreach team visited two other locations, ensuring that 100 homeless and vulnerable people will now be protected against the virus.

Protecting the vulnerable

Major Kurt Pedersen, The Salvation Army’s leader in Aalborg, who also received his first dose from the leftover vaccine, says: ‘Aalborg municipality’s employees have worked hard to secure the vaccine for homeless and vulnerable people. It’s been superb that The Salvation Army has been able to collaborate on this initiative.

‘These are our people. Along with all the other things we are doing for the vulnerable people of our city, it is a blessing every time a person expresses their thankfulness. As God sees us, so too must we see the otherwise unseen. The Salvation Army is called to love the “unloveable”.’

IHQ Communications
International Headquarters

  • Photos are available via the IHQ Flickr channel at sar.my/covidaalborg
  • Updates on The Salvation Army's response to COVID-19 around the world continue to be provided at sar.my/covid19
IHQ Communications

Discover more

Faith-Based Facilitation
Strategy and impact

Faith-Based Facilitation

Faith-Based Facilitation is a way of helping people think, talk, explore and respond to issues in the light of faith.

Volunteers unload supplies from a Salvation Army emergency vehicle
Emergency response
USA Southern

The Salvation Army responds to catastrophic Texas floods

Emergency Disaster Services teams are working around the clock to provide meals, drinks and emotional and spiritual care to communities in Central Texas, USA, following the devastating flooding of the Guadalupe River.

World map with countries highlighted in different colours
Strategy and impact

World Map

A downloadable map showing countries in which The Salvation Army is at work.

A group of young Salvationists in front of the exhibition 'Transforming lives for 160 years'
International Headquarters

Salvation Army celebrates 160 years; anticipates powerful future

Transforming lives and communities since 1865

Modern slavery and human trafficking

Spot the Signs

Driven by poverty, conflict, persecution – and the global demand for cheap goods, labour and sex – modern slavery and human trafficking are thriving worldwide. Yes, even in your own community.

Victims often can’t ask for help. They rely on others – on

Prayer

International Prayer Focus Calendar

Each week, Salvationists around the world unite in praying for the same territory or region of The Salvation Army. Prayer requests are shared by the territory/region to help us pray with precision and power for one another.