Decreased demand ends vaccine clinic

Posted on May 5, 2021

After vaccinating just 30 percent of eligible community members for coronavirus, the local department of health is discontinuing its weekly mass vaccination clinics Wednesday (today) due to decreased demand.

“We are no longer receiving a weekly shipment of vaccinations, as we do not currently have a need,” Department of Health-Taylor (DOH-Taylor) Operations Manager Martine Young said.

DOH-Taylor previously received an average of 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine each week, which were then administered at mass vaccination clinics on Wednesdays or Fridays.

However, the demand for the COVID-19 vaccine has dropped, with approximately 200 vaccines being administered each week. The remaining unopened dials were stored for future use.

“We have luckily not wasted any vaccinations to date. Currently, our freezer is well stocked,” Young said.

According to the Department of Health dashboard, 5,609 people have been vaccinated for the coronavirus in Taylor County. Of those, 3,535 people have completed their vaccine cycle.

DOH-Taylor will instead be moving to regular clinic appointments, with vaccine shipments being requested on an as-needed basis.

Taylor County’s coronavirus infection rate has trended below 5 percent for the past six weeks, with just 16 positive cases recorded in the last 14 days.

To date, the county has reported 2,722 total cases, with 98 hospitalizations (or 4 percent) and 46 deaths (2 percent).

In an effort to clear up common misconceptions surrounding the vaccine, Young stated that the COVID-19 vaccine will not cause infertility, will not alter DNA and will not give people the virus.

“There is currently no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination causes any problems with pregnancy or fertility. Women who receive the vaccination during pregnancy actually pass antibodies along to their newborns,” Young said.

Continuing, Young said, “The Moderna vaccine is a mRNA vaccine. This type of vaccine delivers instructions to our cells to start building protection against the virus that causes COVID-19. However, this never enters the nucleus of the cell, where our DNA is kept. This means the material of the vaccine cannot affect or interact with our DNA in any way.”

Young also noted that none of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines, including Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, contain the live virus.

“This means that a COVID-19 vaccine cannot give you COVID-19 or cause you to test positive on a viral test,” Young said.

While people typically develop fever or body aches, Young said this is a natural process of developing antibodies.

“You may test positive on some antibody tests, but this is the goal. This indicates that your body has developed the antibodies needed to fight and prevent the virus,” Young explained.

All Floridians within the prescribed age group can now receive the vaccine by either making an appointment with DOH-Taylor by calling (850) 584-5087 or by contacting one of several local pharmacies offering the vaccine.

The Pfizer vaccine is currently authorized for people 16 years or older, while the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for those 18 and older.

Young stressed that while Taylor County has seen a decrease in coronavirus cases, “the importance of getting the vaccine has not diminished.”

“COVID-19 can have serious, life-threatening complications, and there is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you. Many people may live with long-term effects that can affect the heart, lung, kidney, skin and brain functions. Damage to the heart, lungs and brain has been reported in those with reported ‘mild’ cases of COVID-19, even in young people,” Young said.

“We want everyone in our community to be safe and back to normal. We all play a part in the effort to stop this pandemic, and we encourage everyone to speak to their pharmacist, health care provider or call our office about the availability of vaccinations,” Young said.

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