LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) – Dozens of people are being vaccinated for COVID-19 each day in Laurel County.
Where there was once hesitancy there is now a strong willingness to get the vaccine.
“So I think a lot of folks were a little nervous about it. But as they see more and more receiving the vaccine, and having no issues, they are a lot more comfortable with it,” said Mark Hensley with the Laurel County Health Department.
Charlotte Bowling works at Laurel Heights Senior Living Communities and got her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. She’s among the dozens getting either their first or second dose of the vaccine.
“We have the capacity to vaccinate between 100 to 160 no problem,” said Hensley.
Hensley says they give out 50 to 60 shots a day and sometimes more than 100 on weekends.
“Focusing on finishing up 1A. We finished 1B back in December. Now we are doing booster vaccinations,” said Hensley.
Laurel County health leaders say once you have your appointment, it is extremely important to keep it.
Each vial of the vaccine has 10 doses in it and syringes are only filled with the expectation that people will keep those appointments. Because once those syringes are filled there’s only so much time before they go bad.
Canceled appointments or no-shows are called Angel Doses and Hensley says they are careful to make sure none are wasted by using a stand-by list.
“We get on the phone making sure we can get someone in here quickly. To date, we have not wasted one dose,” said Hensley.
Everyone vaccinated in December is now getting their second dose with teachers, those 70 and over, and first responders getting their first doses.
Health leaders hope to start vaccinating those in the 1C group soon.
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