Marion County Seeing Vaccine Hesitancy, Lack of Access as Clinic Appointments Drop

Marion Public Health and providers across the country are seeing a decrease in appointments as vaccination rates dwindle. According to website 'Our World in Data ', the United States dropped from a previous high of nearly 3.4 million doses administered a day in mid-April to 2.19 million on May 11.

Two of the biggest reasons for the decrease are those who are hesitant to get the vaccine or a lack of access to the vaccine, especially for communities of color. According to a vaccination tracker from the United States Census Bureau, 11.5 percent of adults 18 and older are hesitant about getting receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. The top three reasons for hesitancy are concern about the side effects, distrust of the vaccines and distrust of the government.

In Marion County, 24 percent of people are uncertain about the vaccine and only 28 percent of people in the area are fully vaccinated as of May 3. Thirty-three percent of people have received at least one dose.

The vaccination clinic at the OhioHealth Marion Medical Campus is also seeing a decline in appointments, said business operations manager Mya Campbell.

The organization is also seeing some patients get their first dose, but not their second. To curb that, Campbell said staff will call people and help them reschedule their appointment.

OhioHealth Marion General Hospital chief operating officer Curtis Gingrich, MD, believes one of the reasons why people many are not rushing to get vaccinated is due to the high-risk population receiving their shots first, while younger people do not see the urgency.

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