On Friday officials in Ontario County held a vaccine clinic. Counties throughout the Finger Lakes have been holding clinics- both drive-thru and in-person with significant success.
In that clinic held on Friday, officials said that around 800 doses were administered. However, not all counties are having as good of luck.
It doesn’t have to do with the ‘will’ to get vaccinated. In every county there are people who want to get vaccinated. The issues is finding the facilities and infrastructure to do it.
In Ontario County, highway officials made the process easy. “Some counties are able to be stationary and able to be in one spot that is very large and can handle parking and all the people walking through. We don’t have a space like that, necessarily,” said Lorelei Wagner, public health education coordinator for Steuben County, who spoke with 13WHAM News.
They have had to work hard to find places to get rural communities vaccinated. Schools, community centers, and even fire houses have been used in other communities.
Even though there are people who want to get the shot- the excitement around it is wearing off. “We have seen a shift. When we used to put out our vaccination appointment links, they would fill up in minutes. They’d be gone,” Wagner told 13WHAM. “Now, they’re not filling up as quickly. It might take a couple of days, or they don’t fill up.”
It’s created challenges for counties in rural parts of the region, but isn’t discouraging them.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].