HARLINGEN — Cameron County’s “drastic decline” in COVID-19 vaccinations is leading to surplus doses as health officials plan new ways of reaching residents to boost the rate.
Across the country, many state-approved vaccine providers are reporting declines in vaccinations following last week’s reports of six women who developed a rare blood-clotting disorder within about two weeks of taking the new Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.
“People have concerns considering Johnson & Johnson’s concerns were brought forward,” Josh Ramirez, Harlingen’s public health director, said Tuesday. “They’re thinking all vaccines have a problem. One of the things we let them know is that of six million (Johnson & Johnson) vaccines, only six women were affected. Unfortunately, one died.”
Ramirez also cites the large numbers of residents who can’t leave work to get their shot as a factor behind the dropping vaccination rate.
Drastic decline
Last Saturday, Cameron County health officials reported declining vaccination rates at a Saturday clinic, Melissa Elizardi, the county’s spokeswoman, said.
“We saw a drastic decline,” Elizardi, who did not have information on surplus doses readily available, said. “We saw a tremendous decline in wanting the vaccine. We see the demand decreasing in the county. We’re seeing a decrease at our vaccination sites.”
Some residents are holding out on vaccinations amid waning trust in the vaccine, Elizardi said.
“People need to be encouraged there are a lot of safeguards,” she said.
The vaccination rate appears to be dropping as more residents become vaccinated, Ramirez said.
So far, 43.39 percent of Cameron County residents 16 and older have received at least one vaccine dose, while 26.9 percent are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We still have a large number of people that need to be vaccinated,” Ramirez said. “We want to vaccinate more.”
New ways to boost vaccination rate
In Harlingen, health officials have built up a surplus of about 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine during the last two weeks, Ramirez said.
“Other cities I talk to say they’re in a similar situation right now,” he said.
Ramirez, who said the city’s storing the vaccine at Valley Baptist Medical Center, said he plans to administer the doses during the city’s next vaccination clinic.
Now, officials are planning to open weekend clinics to help working residents get vaccinated, he said.
Plans, he said, also include vaccinating residents at their work sites.
“The interest is still there,” Ramirez said. “It’s just working around the work schedules.”
Officials are also planning to contact churches to help vaccinate their congregations, he said.
Willacy County surplus
In Raymondville, Willacy County officials are storing about 1,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine received as part of 2,000-dose shipment more than two weeks ago, said Ben Clinton, the Raymondville school district’s deputy superintendent, adding officials plan to administer the doses during their next vaccination clinics.
“We’re vaccinating fewer people per clinic and fewer people per week,” he said.
Clinton believes the surplus stems from a combination of factors including a higher percentage of vaccinated residents and an increase in the vaccine supply.
In Willacy County, 27.48 percent of residents 16 and older have received at least one vaccine dose while 21.05 percent have been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
“Three weeks ago we started seeing surplus doses after seeing an increase in supply,” Clinton said. “We’ve vaccinated a large number of people. It’s the drop in the number of people who need vaccine and the increase in supply.”
Hidalgo County hospital reports dropping rate
In Hidalgo County, officials at Doctor’s Hospital at Renaissance also cite a falling vaccination rate.
“There has been a significant decrease in people seeking a COVID vaccine,” Marcy Martinez, the Edinburg hospital’s spokeswoman, posted on Facebook.
