Colleton leaders urge more residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine

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By VICKI BROWN

vbrown@lowcountry.com

State and local officials are encouraging more Colleton residents to receive their COVID-19 vaccination. 

According to the Center for Disease Control, if people get the vaccine and wait to get the second dose at the arranged time, it nearly eliminates the risk of death, hospitalization, and the ability to infect others. This is also true for all of the variations and mutations of COVID-19, the contagious respiratory virus.

According to the “KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor,” an ongoing research project tracking the public’s attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccinations, nearly half of Americans say they would refuse a shot if offered one immediately.  According to that same study, vaccination anxiety is higher among Blacks, Hispanics, and Caucasians without a college degree and lower-income households.

Many people have had the “wait and see what happens to others first” mentality. They want to be sure there are no side effects or residual effects from the vaccine before they try it themselves.

But, according to Meagan Utsey, director of Colleton County Administrative Services, there have been a total of 91 deaths in Colleton County related to COVID-19.  

Colleton County officials have been notified of 2,405 total cases of COVID-19 in Colleton County, with 114 current cases. These cases of COVID-19 are in the 29082, 29435, 29438, 29446, 29452, 29474, 29475, 29481, 29488, 29493, 29929 and 29945 ZIP codes. That seems to indicate that the vaccine is definitely needed and a way to effectively protect people.

Paul Seigler, chief of the Walterboro Fire Department, said that he was a little uncomfortable after his second shot, but also said that it wasn’t nearly as bad as COVID-19 would have been. “I had a sore arm, slight fever, body aches and fatigue. Those symptoms came on 24 hours after the second shot. They only lasted a few hours and Tylenol was very helpful,” said Seigler.

Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Joey Campbell also had mild side-effects after receiving his vaccine. “After my second shot I had mild local site injection pain and mild malaise for about 12 hours,” said Campbell. “I had no issues with the first.”

With people needing to get back to work to help the economy and with COVID mutating with new variants, officials are saying it’s more important than ever to get the vaccine and help life get back to normal again.

SCDHEC is now vaccinating individuals that are 65 years old and older, as well as disabled or caregiving individuals in phase 1a.  If you have not previously registered in VAMS, you can register through SCDHEC’s new scheduling system using the following link: https://cvas.dhec.sc.gov/health/covidvaccinescheduling. Walgreens and Walterboro Family Practice are also providing the vaccine by appointments.