VIGO CO., Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)–More vaccine deliveries are being made across Indiana and there are now 3 vaccines available to the public.
Joni Wise, Vigo County Health Administrator, said she’s pleased with their vaccination efforts up to this point.
“We’ve had almost 25,000 people receive their first dose and almost 20,000 receiving their second dose,” Wise began. “Where that factors into Indiana’s numbers? Indiana has now immunized over 1 million Hoosiers. They’re fully vaccinated and Vigo County is helping those numbers. “
Starting on March 31, all Indiana residents 16 and older can get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Alan Stewart, Knox County Health Officer, said he hopes more people will come get vaccinated.
“We hope vaccinate to college aged students vaccinated. We plan to go to Good Samaritan Hospital, which has the Pfizer vaccine that’s been approved for those 16 and older,” he noted. “We’ll be going to our schools in the county to deliver those vaccines to students 16 and older as well as staff who haven’t been vaccinated that would like a vaccine.”
But Dr. Stewart explained there’s is still one major challenge that lies ahead.
“We still have a problem who don’t want to get the vaccine. They may be afraid of it.. they don’t believe it’s efficacious and some people still believe that COVID-19 doesn’t exist,” he said.
In Illinois, all residents older than 16 become eligible for the vaccine starting April 12.
Monica Dunn, Edgar County Health Department Assistant Administrator, said it’s been a long time coming.
“We’ve been able to work through our 1b and 1b plus population. We’ve had a couple of clinics that weren’t fully booked so we opened things up so that any Edgar County resident that wants one can make an appointment,” she explained.
For Dunn, the best part of the rollout is seeing the community’s reaction.
“For the most part people coming in are excited and appreciative. They are happy with the process,” she said.
Wise said she wants to see COVID-19 numbers continue to decline in the days ahead.
“We’ve seen our hospital rates decrease immensely and our positive cases go down. We’d like to see even better. Maybe nothing at all and hopefully we can get there through vaccinations and people continuing to mask,” she concluded.
