Unsure about getting your COVID-shot? State Chief Medical Officer Lindsay Weaver says there’s one excuse she hears often. “We hear people say they are perfectly healthy… this is a false sense of security. Even perfectly healthy people can get COVID, and it can have severe outcomes for anyone.”
Weaver, talking during the Governor’s weekly press conference on Wednesday, says people have been more willing to get the shot when it’s offered in places where they’re comfortable, from churches to community centers. She says some people say they’re waiting till they can get vaccinated at their doctor’s office. That’s tricky because of the vaccine’s ultracold storage requirements and the desire to avoid wasting unused doses, but Weaver says the state hopes to make that happen by the end of May.
State health commissioner Kristina Box says about 20-percent of Hoosiers don’t trust or don’t want the vaccine. But she says another 20-or-30-percent have simply put it off, either because side effects would have interfered with final exams or other commitments or because it wasn’t convenient.
Health officials are trying to reach both groups, but Box says the true vaccine skeptics are best reached by those close to them. She says the health department is working to eliminate convenience barriers for that second group.
At Warsaw City Hall on Wednesday, local officials held their bi-weekly COVID press conference. Kosciusko County Health Officer Dr. Bill Remington echoes what was heard in Indianapolis, saying the vaccine is what will get us through the rest of the pandemic. “Please take advantage of immunization, it is our way out of this pandemic quicker. Very safe vaccines, highly effective, a real opportunity. So let’s just get this done.”
Remington said vaccine numbers have slacked off a bit, with the department’s clinic running at about 60 percent capacity. He attributed that to “vaccine hesitancy.” He says sites are generously supplied with the vaccine, so getting the vaccine into arms is a lot easier than it was back in December or January
The newest numbers show weekly case counts were down last week, something Communicable Disease Nurse Teresa Reed was excited to see. “I was worried four weeks ago about the masks coming off and spring break. So finding that we haven’t had an accelerated curve is very exciting to me.”
Vaccine appointments are available at the Kosciusko County Health Department and other sites around the area. Check out ourshot.in.gov to make your appointment, or call the Bowen Center COVID hotline at 574-347-4256 for appointment help. That hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10 AM until 7 PM. The Bowen Center hotline is bilingual in both English and Spanish.
If you can’t get an appointment, the health department is also now taking walk-ins at the K21 Health Pavilion Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Walk-ins must arrive no later than 3:30 p.m. to receive a vaccine.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer also recapped the FEMA/Indiana Department of Health vaccine clinic that was held at Center Lake Pavilion last week, saying that he doesn’t believe 1,000 shots were given out, but even with 900, it was a “great thing.” The second round of vaccinations for those who received it at the pavilion will be able to return May 10th-15th for their second dose.
LATEST VACCINE NUMBERS
On the vaccine front, 16,459 residents in Kosciusko County have now been fully vaccinated. That accounts for just over 26 percent of the county population. Just over 21,000 people have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, accounting for roughly 34 percent of the population.
Of neighboring counties, Marshall and Whitley Counties have seen over 30 percent of the county population get fully vaccinated, and Wabash County is just shy of that figure. Miami County has seen the lowest amount of fully vaccinated individuals locally, with just over 23 percent done.
Overall throughout Indiana, just under 1.8 million people have been fully vaccinated, while over 4.1 million doses have now been given out.
See the latest vaccine numbers from across the state here.
WEEKLY COUNTY METRICS UPDATE
In the latest county updates from the Indiana Department of Health on Wednesday, Kosciusko County continues to hold steady in yellow with some slight improvements. Cases per 100,000 residents were at 114, down about 30 from last week, while positivity rate held at 4.2 percent.
For neighboring counties, Elkhart and Whitley Counties remained in orange, although both saw improvements on case counts, but positivity rates remained above ten percent. Wabash and Miami Counties continue in blue, the lowest advisory this week, while Fulton County could see an upgrade to blue next week if their numbers hold steady of improve.
Marshall and Noble Counties also remained in the yellow.
