The Berrien County Health Department is urging everyone to get a COVID-19 vaccine or booster as case numbers remain high. Emergency preparedness coordinator Brandon Vallee tells WSJM News vaccinated people who still get COVID fare much better than the unvaccinated.
“The cast majority of cases that end up at the hospital are people who are not vaccinated,” Vallee said. “I believe the figure is 87% of cases who are in the hospital are people who have not gotten the first, second, or booster shot of the vaccine.”
Vallee says vaccinations at the health department have been down.
“We have seen a substantial decrease in the amount of people who are getting COVID-19 vaccines, either initiating their first dose, getting a second shot, or getting their booster shot since the holiday season.”
Vallee says he thinks people lost motivation once the holidays were over. However, the health department wants to mitigate further spread. It holds walk-in vaccination clinics at the Benton Harbor office Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. and at the Niles office on Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m. For kids under 12, parents are urged to make an appointment.
