By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
For Dr. Adam London, the Kent County Health Department health officer, nothing underscores the need for people to get vaccinated than the more than 200 people hospitalized for COVID, of which 50 are fighting for their lives.
“We all want to get back to life as we want it to be as quickly as possible and the COVID vaccine and the vaccination is the best way to do that,” London said during a recent PSA for the Health Department. “We all want to see our restaurants full, we want concerts and ballparks and classrooms full. We want to get back to work and back to life as we want it to be here in West Michigan. The power to do that is your hands.”
London said the best way to accomplish these goals is for people to get vaccinated, and for those already vaccinated, to encourage or help others to do the same.
There are several places where residents can get vaccines such as the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic, which is a partnership between the Kent County Health Department, Spectrum Health and Mercy Health – St. Mary’s. Vaccines are available through all the hospitals, Spectrum Health, Mercy Health – St. Mary’s, and Metro Health – University of Michigan Health.
Also many pharmacies located at Family Fare, Meijer, CVS, and Walgreens, are giving vaccines.
London noted that the vaccines are safe and and effective and are held to the highest standards before being approved. More than 75 percent of people 65 or older have received vaccines and that group is having the fewest number of new cases, London said.
The groups that are driving up the resurgence are the 20s and 30-year-olds, London said. In the twenty-something group, there is a 22 percent vaccination rate and in the thirty-something group, there is about a 32 percent vaccination rate.
“We need to do what we can to get these numbers down,” London said. “We are seeing more than 400 new cases of COVID diagnosed everyday in Kent County.”
For those unable to navigate the internet or schedule appointments online, they can call 2-1-1 for assistance.
For more about COVID cases in Kent County, visit the Kent County Public Health Department’s website.
