Curbing vaccine hesitancy in Pima County

County Supervisor says fewer people are signing up for appointments at major vaccine sites

(CHOOSING NOT TO GET THE COVIDVACCINE.

NOW -- THE COUNTY ISFIGHTING FEAR -- WITHKNOWLEDGE.

ALL WITH THE GOAL-- OF REACHING HERD IMMUNITY.NINE ON YOUR SIDE'S ROGELIOSHOWS US -- THE COUNTY'SEFFORTS.PIMA COUNTY SUPERVISOR ANDMEDICAL DOCTOR, MATT HEINZ SAYS70-PERCENT OF ADULTS WOULDNEED TO BE VACCINATED ORIMMUNE THROUGH INFECTION --SOT THEN YOU'RE AT THAT HERDIMMUNITY LEVEL.

02SEC THESTATE'S HEALTH DEPARTMENTREPORTS PIMA COUNTY AT ABOUT39 PERCENT OF ADULTSVACCINATED AT LEAST ONCE --JUST A BIT LOWER THAN THESTATE AVERAGE.

HEINZ SAYS EACHPERSON WHO GETS VACCINATEDGETS US CLOSER TO LIFE BEFORETHE PANDEMIC, SOT THE FASTERWE GET TO THAT HERD IMMUNITYLEVEL IN OUR COMMUNITIES, THEFASTER WE CAN MORE FULLY OPENUP SOCIETY AND OUR ECONOMIES.09SEC THE CURRENT OBSTACLE TOHERD IMMUNITY?

CONVINCINGPEOPLE THE VACCINE IS SAFE.SOT IT'S NOT NECESSARILYPEOPLE THAT ARE ANTI-VACCINEOR ANTI-VAXXERS.

05SEC HEINZSAYS MOST PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'TBEEN VACCINATED ARE HESITANTBUT FOR PRETTY RELATABLEREASONS.

SOT PEOPLE ARE BUSY,THEY HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO DOSOME RESEARCH, THEY'REUNDERSTANDABLY CONCERNED ABOUTANYONE RUNNING TOWARD THEMWITH A NEEDLE.

08SEC HE SAYSTHE COUNTY IS STEPPING UP TOTAKE ON THIS CHALLENGE, ALLTOWARD THE GOAL OF HERDIMMUNITY.

SOT CHIEF FOCUSRIGHT NOW IS TO KIND OF CUTTHROUGH THAT HESITANCY TOREALLY EDUCATE PEOPLE AS TOWHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET THEVACCINE.

07SEC IT TAKESFINDING PEOPLE WHERE THEY'REAT.

SOT WE'RE IDENTIFYINGWHERE WE ARE STILL EFFECTIVEAND WHERE THINGS SEEM TO BELEVELING OUT OR MAYBE EVENDROPPING OFF IN TERMS OFVACCINE APPOINTMENTS.

08SECFEWER OF THEM THAN BEFORE, HESAYS, ARE AT THE LARGERVACCINE SITES.

SOT WE'RESEEING MORE VACCINE AND FEWERARMS TO PUT THE VACCINE INTO.05SEC BUT HE SAYS MOBILEVACCINE SITES HAVE ACTUALLYBEEN A BRIGHT SPOT IN THEEFFORT TO GET MORE SHOTS INARMS. SOT OUR MOBILE UNITSTHAT ARE BOUNCING AROUND TOCHURCHES AND TO HIGH SCHOOLSAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, THOSEARE DOING VERY WELL STILL.08SEC SOT WE NEED TO REALLYDOUBLE, TRIPLE DOWN ON THETHINGS THAT ARE MOSTEFFECTIVE.04SEC THE COUNTY,HEINZ SAYS, IS PUTTING MONEYTO THAT VERY CAUSE, INVESTINGALMOST 300-THOUSAND DOLLARSWITH THE SAME MARKETING FIRMTHAT HELPED SPREAD THE WORDABOUT WASHING YOUR HANDS ANDWEARING A MASK.

SOT WE NEEDYOU TO HELP AUGMENT OURCONTINUED MESSAGE ABOUT THEIMPORTANCE OF GETTINGVACCINATED, HOW SAFE IT IS.07SEC YOU'LL FIND INFORMATIONON WHERE YOU CAN GETVACCINATED BY FOLLOWING LINKSON OUR WEBSITE: KGUN-DOT-COM.ROGELIO MARES, KGUN9 ON YOURSIDE.LET'S LOOK AT COVID-19 DATA IN