GOP Governor Begs Residents to Get Vaccinated: ‘We’re Gonna Lose A Lot More People’

BY Tara Dublin September 29, 2021

Many doctors are doubling down on pleas for Americans to get vaccinated, especially as the flu season could lead to simultaneous infections of the Delta variant and the flu. The double whammy could be disastrous not just for a person’s immune system, but also for overwhelmed hospitals. Vaccinations rates have been increasing across the country, but have either plateaued or plummeted in Red states.

One such Red state, West Virginia, once led the United States in vaccinations. But now the state has one of the lowest rates of new inoculations in the country. And it’s losing dozens of residents every day to Covid-19. The number of Covid patients in ICUs just reached an all-time high — 298, according to Governor Jim Justice.

HINES, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 24: Lalain Reyeg administers a COVID-19 booster vaccine and an influenza vaccine to Army veteran Gary Nasakaitis at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital on September 24, 2021 in Hines, Illinois. Today, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky endorsed a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people 65 years and older, those with underlying medical conditions or those who work in high-risk situations. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The governor has made an official plea to his constituents in West Virginia “All I can possibly do, with a good conscience, is continue to urge you, in every way, to get vaccinated,” he said.

LIVE: Gov. Justice and state officials provide an update on West Virginia’s COVID-19 response efforts – September 29, 2021. For more information about COVID-19 vaccinations, visit https://t.co/HDtenzZeHR or call 1-833-734-0965. #WV #WVGov https://t.co/mAKHSRP9j4

— Governor Jim Justice (@WVGovernor) September 29, 2021

But there’s also some good news in the fight against Covid-19. As more eligible Americans get a third dose of Covid-19 vaccine, new data shows “the frequency and type of side effects were similar to those seen after the second vaccine doses and were mostly mild or moderate and short-lived,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The best #COVID19 vaccine is any one that’s available to you. 
 
Don’t wait for a specific brand. All three authorized and approved vaccines help prevent COVID-19, especially severe illness and death.
 
Learn more: https://t.co/xqnuK2W1lE. pic.twitter.com/k5yxdynYbl

— CDC (@CDCgov) September 29, 2021

Booster doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are now available for people who received the vaccine at least six months ago and are age 65 and older; adults with a medical condition that puts them at high risk for severe illness from Covid-19; and adults who live or work in a setting that puts them at high risk of exposure to coronavirus.