By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
With just over 30% of Wood County residents having at least their first COVID vaccine, Health Commissioner Ben Robison has switched up his sports analogies.
Earlier this year, Robison cautioned that public health and citizens cannot pull a Leon Lett – the Dallas Cowboy player remembered for a fumble as he was inches from scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl.
“That’s one of the worst things we can do” – celebrate victory before actually beating COVID, he said.
Now that it’s spring, Robison switched over to baseball and Bill Buckner. Public health, he said, can’t let the COVID response be like the 1986 World Series game when the Red Sox were one strike away from taking the sixth game of the series. First baseman Buckner let a ball go through his legs allowing the Mets’ winning run.
“It’s late in the game. We’ve worn masks, stayed home,” Robison said. “Sacrifices were made. Let’s not let this be for naught.”
As of Monday, 39,925 Wood County residents had received at least their first dose of the COVID vaccine. Wood County’s 30.54% vaccine rate is higher than most Ohio counties – with Holmes County at the lowest with 10.2% vaccinated, and Delaware County the highest at 34.8%.
Robison said he has been encouraged by the high rate of vaccinations for older county residents. Approximately 74% of residents 65 and older have gotten at least one shot.
But herd immunity is a long way off, he said Monday afternoon. At least 70% compliance is the threshold for herd immunity. To reach that number, at least 85% of everyone 16 and older must be vaccinated, he said.
Working on the side of public health is the recent influx of vaccines.
“Up until now, we were using vaccines targeting certain ages, because there wasn’t enough,” Robison said.
“Now we’re shifting to protecting our county.” And the high level of vaccinations, the lower the chances of COVID variants getting traction.
Mass vaccination sites have been set up in schools, American Legion halls, and the Bowling Green Community Center. And on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, 5,000 vaccinations will be put in arms during a mass clinic planned by Bowling Green State University and the health department at the Perry Field House.
As of Monday afternoon, there were still appointments available at the Wednesday clinic at the field house. Appointments can be made on the Wood County Health Department’s website at https://sites.google.com/view/wchdohio-coronavirus/home/vaccines/get-vaccinated?authuser=0.
On Monday it was announced that some community health centers in Ohio are getting additional federal funding to help with vaccinations. Wood County Community Health Center has been awarded $769,375. The center had not yet received official word or instructions on how the money can be used.
The health department has plans to hire independent contractors and 30 contract nurses from the state to help with vaccinations, Robison said. The vaccination process can be time and labor intensive – especially those that involve traveling to the homes of elderly residents unable to venture out for their shots.
The health department continues to look for volunteers to work at vaccine sites with the Medical Reserve Corps. Information can be found at https://www.woodcountyhealth.org/ep/mrc.html.
“We definitely could always use more volunteers,” Robison said. “We may need to bring in reinforcements.”
