![](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-001-lo-res-001.jpg?fit=1000%2C671&quality=99&ssl=1 )
Iceland’s COVID-19 vaccination program recently hit top gear.
Laugardalshöll—a huge sports hall in Reykjavík—has been turned into a mass vaccination centre capable of serving some ten thousand local residents every day. The court which is usually the home of the national handball, basketball and volleyball teams is currently covered by a grid of chairs—20 wide by 26 rows deep—to receive the patients passing through.
Smooth logistics are key to the success of this kind of operation. Responsibility for that rests with Head Of Nursing Anna Ólafsdóttir, and we recently spent time with Anna and her team as they inoculated wave after wave of Reykjavík residents.
If you’ve been vaccinated at Laugardalshöll, you’ll probably have heard Anna. She’s the one who yells “Áfram!” (“Forward!”) to signal that her squad of twenty nurses should advance together to the next row of waiting patients. So Anna’s part nurse, part drill-sergeant (in the nicest possible way).
![Head Of Nursing Anna Ólafsdóttir](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-002-lo-res-002.jpg?resize=600%2C400&quality=99&ssl=1)
Anna Ólafsdóttir – photo by John Pearson
It’s all in the preparation
![20210608_by_johnpearson.co_Laugardalshöll_Vaccination_006_Lo_Res_003 Janssen vaccine](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-006-lo-res-003.jpg?w=189&h=283&quality=99&ssl=1)
![20210608_by_johnpearson.co_Laugardalshöll_Vaccination_007_Lo_Res_004 They'll get through some 10,000 doses today - photo by John Pearson](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-007-lo-res-004.jpg?w=216&h=283&quality=99&ssl=1)
![20210608_by_johnpearson.co_Laugardalshöll_Vaccination_009_Lo_Res_005 Syringes loaded, labelled and ready for action - photo by John Pearson](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-009-lo-res-005.jpg?w=189&h=283&quality=99&ssl=1)
Sports hall to medical facility
![20210608_by_johnpearson.co_Laugardalshöll_Vaccination_010_Lo_Res_006 Precision chair-arranging in Laugardalshöll - photo by John Pearson](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-010-lo-res-006.jpg?w=299&h=399&quality=99&ssl=1)
![20210608_by_johnpearson.co_Laugardalshöll_Vaccination_011_Lo_Res_007 Laugardalsholl vaccination](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-011-lo-res-007.jpg?w=299&h=399&quality=99&ssl=1)
Getting down to business
![20210608_by_johnpearson.co_Laugardalshöll_Vaccination_012_Lo_Res_008 Walk in, sit down, roll sleeve - photo by John Pearson](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-012-lo-res-008.jpg?w=280&h=428&quality=99&ssl=1)
![20210608_by_johnpearson.co_Laugardalshöll_Vaccination_013_Lo_Res_009 Anna’s friendly chairside manner - photo by John Pearson](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-013-lo-res-009.jpg?w=318&h=212&quality=99&ssl=1)
![20210608_by_johnpearson.co_Laugardalshöll_Vaccination_014_Lo_Res_010 Quick jab, and done - photo by John Pearson](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-014-lo-res-010.jpg?w=318&h=212&quality=99&ssl=1)
![20210608_by_johnpearson.co_Laugardalshöll_Vaccination_016_Lo_Res_011 Some people smile with their eyes - photo by John Pearson](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-016-lo-res-011.jpg?w=299&h=199&quality=99&ssl=1)
![20210608_by_johnpearson.co_Laugardalshöll_Vaccination_017_Lo_Res_012 It’s over before you notice it - photo by John Pearson](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-017-lo-res-012.jpg?w=299&h=199&quality=99&ssl=1)
Done and dusted
![20210608_by_johnpearson.co_Laugardalshöll_Vaccination_019_Lo_Res_013 Late afternoon: crowds gone, job done - photo by John Pearson](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-019-lo-res-013.jpg?w=315&h=210&quality=99&ssl=1)
![20210608_by_johnpearson.co_Laugardalshöll_Vaccination_020_Lo_Res_014 Each empty syringe is another step forward - photo by John Pearson](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-020-lo-res-014.jpg?w=315&h=210&quality=99&ssl=1)
![20210608_by_johnpearson.co_Laugardalshöll_Vaccination_021_Lo_Res_015 Laugardalsholl vaccination](https://i0.wp.com/grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210608-by-johnpearsonco-laugardalsholl-vaccination-021-lo-res-015.jpg?w=283&h=424&quality=99&ssl=1)
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