Sheep used to help form giant syringe display to promote vaccines

Seven hundred sheep and goats were arranged in a field to form a giant syringe to promote COVID-19 vaccinations in Germany, The Associated Press reported. 

Shepherd Wiebke Schmidt-Kochan spent several days practicing with her animals for Monday’s photoshoot. 

The animals formed into a shape of a roughly 330-foot syringe in a field at Schneverdingen, south of Hamburg, according to the AP. 

According to news agency DPA, Schmidt-Kochan laid out pieces of bread shaped as a syringe to help the animals get on the field for the photoshoot. 

Organizer Hanspeter Etzold told the newswire the gathering of barnyard animals was aimed at sending a message to those hesitant to getting the jab. 

“Sheep are such likeable animals — maybe they can get the message over better,” Hanspeter Etzold said. 

German officials have made getting shots into arms their top priority in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. 

About 71 percent of residents have had two shots of the vaccine, while 38.9 percent of residents have received their booster shots, the AP reported. 

The globe has seen a sharp increase in COVID-19 infections due to the highly transmissible omicron variant which was first discovered in South Africa. Countries across the world have instituted a plethora of different mitigation measures including lockdowns and decreased capacity in public spaces to stem the spread.

In addition, New Year’s Eve events and entertainment venues shut down amid the holidays due to coronavirus infections.  

Some people who have refused to get the vaccine previously have changed their mind amid debate about inoculation in Germany, the country’s Health Ministry spokesman, Andreas Deffner, said on Monday, the AP reported.