VOLUNTEER INTERNSHIP FOR HEALTH STUDENTS IN THE COVID-19 VACCINATION CAMPAIGN (Atena Editora)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The development ofThe COVID-19 pandemic has stimulated research laboratories around the world to develop immunizations capable of containing the uncontrolled advance of the disease. From this, vaccination campaigns were initiated, which, in Brazil, were carried out in a decentralized manner and individually regulated by each municipality. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to report the experiences of medical students as volunteer interns of the vaccination service against COVID-19, describing the challenges observed by students during this period. METHODS: This is a descriptive study, of the experience report type, carried out in the second semester of 2021. This report was consolidated from the observations made by the medicine students of the Faculdade Pernambucana de Saúde during the volunteer internship in the Vaccination Campaign against to COVID-19 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, municipality of Pernambuco. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The vaccination team of the campaign was composed of several health professionals, among them, volunteer interns, whose function was to welcome the population, answer questions, schedule, collect documents and vaccinate. In view of this, several difficulties contributed to delaying the vaccination campaign, such as the lack of technological accessibility for a large part of the vulnerable population, bureaucratic processes and the lack of uniform coordination of the National Immunization Program, leaving each municipality responsible for its organization. CONCLUSION: The volunteer internship in the Vaccination Campaign contributed to the trainees' learning, encouraging critical thinking, vaccine application techniques, group work with a multidisciplinary team and greater interaction with the population.