David Roy

America's original ‘pony car' will be celebrated on and off the track THIS summer's Silverstone Festival will celebrate the 60th birthday of the Ford Mustang.

The song was captured at The Limelight in 1994 on the same night Definitely Maybe went to number one

Coverage for recommended COVID-19 and diphtheria-tetanus-poliomyelitis (DTP) booster shots is often inadequate, especially among disadvantaged populations. To help health mediators (HMs) involved in outreach programs deal with the problems of vaccine hesitancy (VH) in these groups, we trained them in motivational interviewing (MI). We evaluated the effectiveness of this training among HMs on their MI knowledge and skills (objective 1) and among the interviewees on their vaccination readiness (VR) and intention to get vaccinated or accept a booster against COVID-19 and/or DTP (objective 2). Two MI specialists trained 16 HMs in a two-day workshop in May 2022. The validated MISI questionnaire evaluated HMs' acquisition of MI knowledge and skills (objective 1). Trained HMs offered an MI-based intervention on vaccination to people in disadvantaged neighborhoods of Marseille (France). Those who consented completed a questionnaire before and after the interview to measure VR with the 7C scale and intentions regarding vaccination/booster against COVID-19 and DTP (objective 2). The training resulted in HMs acquiring good MI skills (knowledge, application, self-confidence in using it). HMs enrolled 324 interviewees, 96% of whom completed both questionnaires. VR increased by 6%, and intentions to get vaccinated or update COVID-19 and DTP vaccination increased by 74% and 52% respectively. Nearly all interviewees were very satisfied with the interview, although 21% still had questions about vaccination. HMs assimilated MI principles well. MI use in outreach programs appears to show promise in improving vaccine confidence and intentions among disadvantaged people.

Noise Annoys

A selection of uber-rare metal will be on display at the London event - David Roy finds out what’s in store...

David Roy discovers that the new Liam Neeson action thriller is much better than you might have heard, and picks three other top entries from the Co Antrim star’s ‘geriaction’ canon...

David Roy speaks to the Co Down artist about taking his Troubles-related exhibition Silent Testimony to London's National Portrait Gallery and why its themes are perhaps even more relevant today than they were in 2015...