THE ISSUE
One week ago, the Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center âhit a new milestone in the fight to defeat COVID-19: 100,000 vaccines in arms,â LNP | LancasterOnlineâs Nicole C. Brambila reported. Pennsylvania has opened up vaccine eligibility to all Pennsylvanians 16 and older. Available vaccine doses now may be exceeding interest in getting vaccinated: Brambila noted that the cancellation, or no-show, rate at the mass vaccination site at Park City Center doubled last week from the previous week to 4%. The center has expanded its same-day walk-in appointments for COVID-19 vaccination and extended evening hours to 6:30 p.m.
The staff at the Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center enjoyed a small celebration after the 100,000th shot was given last Sunday morning, and no wonder.
For several months, public demand for COVID-19 vaccines far outpaced supplies. While Pennsylvania remained in Phase 1a for vaccine eligibility, Penn State Health was inundated with calls from patients asking when they could be vaccinated. Now that all phases are open and we have ample doses available, a different hurdle is coming into focus: Some people donât want to get vaccinated.
Historically, vaccine hesitancy comes from uncertainty about the need for vaccination, distrust of government or medicine, moral or religious concerns about vaccine production, and fear that a vaccine was rushed through development. It seems these same concerns surround the COVID-19 vaccines.