New York Finding Ways To Deal With Vaccine Hesitancy [POLL]

NEW YORK — After months of people scrambling to find places to get the coronavirus vaccine — available appointments would no sooner be announced than they would be snapped up — more and more clinics, pharmacies and points of dispensing are offering to give the vaccine to anyone who walks in.

On Tuesday, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-Cold Spring, and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican, toured the Poughkeepsie Galleria Vaccination Site, set up in the former JCPenney store, and encouraged everyone in the Hudson Valley to get the vaccine.

Maloney said the community is in a race against time to beat the variants that are developing and spreading around the world.

"We are in a race to ensure our vaccines remain effective against this pandemic," he said. "Everyone has their own role to play here. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, and come get the shot, and it will save your life."

Molinaro called this the "next phase of our response."

"We want to encourage people to come to the conclusion for their own health, for the health of someone they love, for the health of the community that being vaccinated is safe, it's appropriate, and it's the next step toward reopening, a rebirth, a renewal, and getting back to what we hope is a better normal."

To combat vaccine hesitancy, Maloney is redoubling outreach efforts with community organizations and local leaders. He will be traveling throughout the 18th Congressional District to spread the word about vaccine safety and efficacy.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, at a news conference Thursday in Buffalo, that fewer people are coming in to get vaccinated.

"We have to work harder" to get people to take the shot, he said.

He said the 16 to 25 age group is the least vaccinated age group in the state. Only 34 percent have taken the shot, compared to 72 percent of age 75 and up and about 80 percent in the 65 to 74 age group.

To that end, Cuomo announced a pop-up site in Buffalo for Friday and Saturday targeting 16- to 25-year-olds.

As an incentive, transportation vouchers will be provided, so it won't cost someone anything to get to and from the site.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer was asked Thursday during a news briefing how the county was addressing the slowing of the rate of vaccination, especially among younger people.

He said, while the county hasn't reached the point where demand has been exhausted, it was important to focus on vaccine hesitancy.

Latimer said the county will be distributing a flyer for students to take home to their parents as well as finding messaging from peers, experts and famous people who could make the point that the vaccine is something that young people should get.

But are bus vouchers, take-home flyers and hoping people will be talked into doing the best thing for the community the way to approach vaccine hesitancy?

In West Virginia, government officials have come up with a different way to sway 16- to 35-year-olds to get the coronavirus vaccine.

Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, announced Monday that anyone in that age group — of which there are about 380,000 — would get a $100 savings bond, The New York Times reported.

West Virginia will use funds from the federal CARES Act to pay for the bonds, something which the state says has been vetted to make certain the money can be used for that purpose.

And, to broaden the outreach, anyone 16 to 35 who has already been vaccinated can get one of the savings bonds.

Now it's your turn to weigh in on the issue. Vote in our unscientific poll and tell us what you think in the comments.