The COVID-19 vaccination effort continues in Berrien County as the health department and Spectrum Health Lakeland have now provided shots to more than 10,000 people. Berrien County Health Department Communications Manager Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News the county is getting anywhere from 1,000 to 2,500 doses per week, which is not enough.
“At the rate that we are receiving vaccines, with only a couple thousand doses delivered each week to Berrien County, it’s going to take us quite some time to move through all of the people who are wanting the vaccine right now,” Conrad said.
Conrad says the health department and Spectrum Health Lakeland can administer more doses than they currently are, and at some point, there will be other partners offering them to expand capacity.
“We know that as vaccine supply increases, there also will be more providers of the vaccine available in the community, including area pharmacies and primary care offices. This is going to be especially important to augment what the Berrien County Health Department and Spectrum Health Lakeland have already started.”
The Berrien County Health Department provided nearly 1,300 shots with a clinic on Tuesday, and Conrad says it gave out its first round of second doses to healthcare workers this week. The waiting list for those age 65 and over is now 20,000 names long. Considering there are around 30,000-plus people in Berrien County eligible for the vaccine right now, Conrad says that indicates there is strong interest from people who want a return to normalcy. If you’re anxiously waiting your chance for a shot, she asks you to remain patient and cautious.
