By Heart of Illinois ABC
BLOOMINGTON – Health Leaders in McLean County say they are running into a new challenge with Pfizer and Moderna vaccines – convincing people to get both doses.
Public Health Administrator Jessica McKnight says 40% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated.
But she says they are seeing an unusual amount of cancellations for second-dose appointments.
Public Affairs Director Marianne Manko says for some people, the scheduling for a second appointment is just inconvenient.
Others, though, are worried the second shot will lead to side effects.
“If people have any kind of a reaction – and you usually do have reactions to vaccines, that’s how vaccines work – it does tend to scare them off a little bit about that second one,” Manko said. “We want people to know it’s completely normal to have a reaction to a vaccine.”
Manko says the department has a call center dedicated to following up on cancelled appointments.
She says operators are taking note of each reason and will use the findings to adjust vaccine outreach.
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