Unfilled vaccine appointments appear to be possible sign of vaccine hesitancy

A growing number of unfilled appointments appear to be a possible sign of vaccine hesitancy.

PHILADELPHIA - A growing number of unfilled appointments appear to be a possible sign of vaccine hesitancy.

Interior designer Dee Hurford was excited to offer her arm for a second dose of vaccine at a site in Chester.

Delaware County’s COVID coordinator Rosemarie Halt says the center on West 9th normally does 240 shots, but on Thursday it’s down to 190, which is a possible sign of vaccine hesitancy.

"I don’t understand it we’ve all gotten vaccines against other things: measles, mumps and the flu. I don’t see how this is any different," Hurford said.

Across Delaware County, six vaccination site appointments have dropped 15%, according to Halt. It’s likely a result of concerns over the pause in Johnson & Johnson shots and those who just say no.

"A certain percent of the population doesn’t want the vaccine at all. We’re trying to help them understand the benefits of getting the vaccine. The biggest thing is an increase in testing," Halt said.

The jump in testing reflects an increase in COVID cases across the county just as interest in the vaccine regionally looks to be slowly dropping off.

A group of Pennsylvania doctors, calling themselves the Committee to Protect Medicare, is calling on Republican legislators to urge their conservative supporters to get a shot.

"On every shift, I meet patients who think the pandemic is a hoax. They say the vaccine is a stunt. They say the vaccine can give them COVID-19. They say they got the information from people they trust," Max Cooper said.

They cited a State House Republican who called the vaccine "poison."

A spokesperson for Pennsylvania House Republicans writes:

"The fact is, the House Republican Caucus has been the eader in making sure that vaccine is available for everyone who wants to get it."

The governor is focused on students .

"We have a plan to go after colleges and universities, at least for the first shot, and say before you go home let’s get a shot," Gov. Tom Wolf said.

___

RELATED HEADLINES:

COVID-19 vaccine milestone: US surpasses goal of 200 million shots administered in less than 100 days

Rutgers University requiring on-campus students to receive COVID-19 vaccines for fall semester

Are vaccine incentives and mandates the right approach?

FBI warns of fake COVID-19 vaccination cards being sold online, says illegal sales endanger public health