The Belmont County Health Department operates weekly vaccination clinics for the COVID-19 vaccine and has done so regularly since the vaccines release.
But back in October, when the FDA authorized the use of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11, that option soon after became available at the Belmont Clinics.
But how has the response been?
“We’ve been seeing a few of the kids, but not as large as we were hoping,” said Robert Sproul, Deputy Health Commissioner for the Belmont County Health Department. “We’ve gotten a decent response at our clinics, maybe 30-50 kids each time. We’ve also had people bring their children in by appointment.
“We want them to come.”
The department took appointments at its office this week, but delayed its vaccination clinic a week for the holiday. The next clinic takes place Monday from 2-7 p.m. inside the gymnasium at Ohio University Eastern. One will also take place the following week on December 7, at the same time and place.
In addition to the clinic and the by-request appointments, the health department is also seeking to partner with area elementary schools. A few have been interested, but as with the clinics, the schools, and in turn, the parents who send their children to those schools, are split on the issue.
“We’ve had a few schools come down, but it’s not been as robust as we’d like it to be,” Sproul admitted. “It seems to be 50-50. The schools are just like the masks; half the parents are wanting the mask, and half are not.
“It’s a very polarizing issue. Some of them can’t wait to get their children vaccinated while others, they didn’t get the shot, and neither will their kids. A lot of people have their minds made up already.”
Information On Hand
Sproul noted that while there may be a few stragglers still on the fence, most people have their minds made up already. Either they are on board, or they are adamantly against receiving the vaccine.
“In the beginning, we had a lot of people contacting our office to get additional information, but now, it seems their minds are made up,” Sproul said. “For some, it basically takes a tragedy in their own family before they will change their minds.
“All we do is make the information and the vaccine available, and try to explain that the record is very good on the vaccine.
“It’s keeping people healthy, and those who still do contract COVID, it keeps them out of the hospital.”
While the public seems split on the COVID vaccine, it’s not so much on the flu vaccine, certainly not this year.
Sproul admitted last flu season, whether it was because of the pandemic and the lack of people frequenting outside of their homes, the health department returned unused flu vaccines. This time around, that’s not been the issue.
The department ran out of its original supply back in October and is working hard to keep its stream of flu vaccines coming and being administered.
“People are wanting the flu shot,” Sproul said. “Last year, maybe because of the lockdown, but there was just a reluctance to go anywhere, and last flu season, hospitalizations were almost non-existent. I think there were 38 across the entire state.”
For more information, or to see when and where the next clinic is available, visit the health department online at the link above, or stop by its Facebook page.
