By Charlene Lovett
By Charlene Lovett
In the early part of the 20th century, the fear of contracting polio was very real. People who lived during this time can easily recall the summer announcements of beaches or pools closed because someone, perhaps a child, had contracted the disease. Others remember images of people kept alive by iron lungs, sometimes for years. Though most people recovered from the virus, some had temporary or permanent paralysis. Some died. The discovery and availability of a vaccine in 1955 changed the course of events. By 1979, the United States was polio-free and the fear was no longer a part of the nation’s consciousness.
Because of widespread vaccination, polio was eradicated in the Western Hemisphere in 1994. Today, polio exists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, occasionally spreading to neighboring countries. Ongoing vaccination programs are focused on eliminating these last vestiges of the disease. Because the risk of imported cases exists until the global population is free of the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still recommends vaccination.
Today, the world is focused on a different virus.
Like polio, most people recover after contracting COVID-19. However, there are people, commonly referred to “long-haulers,” who experience long-term, debilitating effects. Four million people have died worldwide. It is a virus in which we continue to see community transmission and emerging variants.
As with polio, vaccines are being employed to fight the current ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. Accessibility is often an issue, contributing to varying vaccination rates. According to the CDC, the percentage of adults in the United States with at least one dose is 67.3% as of July 9. In the developing world, that percentage may be as low as 1%. Given the ease with which people can travel today and the range in vaccination rates, there is a fear that the virus will continue to spread and the number or variants will increase.
Though not as extreme as abroad, the vaccination rates vary at home, too. In New England, the percentage of adults receiving at least one vaccine dose ranges from over 80% in Vermont to approximately 60% in New Hampshire. Vaccination rates for counties and municipalities also vary. Both Sullivan County and Claremont fall below the state’s vaccination rate.
To improve access to vaccines, municipalities in Sullivan County are working in partnership with the Greater Sullivan County Public Health Network (GSCPHN) to create pop-up clinic events. While local pharmacies continue to offer vaccines to residents, pop-up clinics are an additional option.
Recently, GSCPHN held a clinic at the Goddard Block Apartments and the Soup Kitchen in Claremont. On Friday, July 16, the GSCPHN will be hosting a pop-up clinic at the Newport Farmers’ Market from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will hold another pop-up clinic on Tuesday, July 20, at the Berean Baptist Church from noon until 2 p.m. Both clinics will offer either the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine to anyone 12 years of age and older. If an individual has already had the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, please bring the vaccination card provided at the time the first dose was administered. More clinics will occur as opportunities arise throughout the summer.
How one answers the question of vaccination is an individual process. Accessibility should not be a determining factor in answering that question. It is why the GSCPHN is working with multiple municipalities and organizations to ensure equitable access to vaccinations recommended by the CDC.
To learn more about the GSCPHN, please go to gscphn.org. For additional details regarding upcoming pop-up clinics, please contact Stephen Belmont at (603) 306-7660.
Charlene Lovett is the mayor of Claremont and welcomes your feedback. Please email questions, comments or concerns to her at [email protected]
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