SPD’S Covid vaccine clinic a success
On Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the Starkville Police Department (SPD) and the Delta Upsilon Sigma (or Golden Triangle Area) chapter of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity teamed up with OCH Regional Medical Center for a free Covid-19 vaccination drive inside the community room of SPD.
Nurses from OCH were on hand to administer shots of either the two-dose Pfizer vaccine or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Dr. Tami Brooks, who specializes in pediatrics at Physicians & Surgeons, and Dr. Emily Landrum, who specializes in preventative care and women’s health at The Family Clinic, were both present to answer any questions those receiving the vaccine might have.
“We’re here to help with anyone who may have questions. There is unfortunately a lot of misinformation out in the public, so we want people to be clear of what the facts are,” Dr. Brooks said. “While we encourage everyone to get the vaccine no matter what, the ones we like to recommend are the MRNA vaccines. They are available everywhere to your own healthcare providers to pharmacies within Walmart and Kroger. The best thing is that they are free, and we urge everyone to get vaccinated.”
Since July, Covid cases have risen across the country and especially in Mississippi. With the new wave of cases because of the Delta variant, there is one demographic affected more so than it has been in the past: children.
“Last year we didn’t even have to prepare for kids, but with the Delta variant, it’s more contagious, and I see so many children now with Covid,” Dr. Brooks said. “There are now whole families in our waiting room who have Covid, and they have to worry about passing it to their grandma or maybe a mother who has cancer. Another thing I’ve seen especially in rural communities is children receiving ivermectin, the horse dewormer, because someone who is not a doctor said it was a treatment. It is not a treatment. At the very least, do not give children anything that is not approved by doctors. I also do have to thank the Starkville school district for mandating masks for all of the children. It could be so much worse here if they weren’t taking this seriously.”
On August 23, the FDA officially approved the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and older. It is still available under emergency use authorization (EUA) for 12 and up, and the other two vaccines in the United States are available for anyone 18 and up under EUA. Dr. Landrum said they’ve seen more people start to get vaccinated as of July.
“I think it really started to sink in that this was not going away without action, and then cases started rising again,” Dr. Landrum said. “We really started to see more people come in for vaccines in July, but it really took off last month. There have been a few more people than usual requesting Pfizer [since its FDA approval] but not many. I just can’t stress enough how important it is to get vaccinated.”
Both physicians emphasized the importance of getting the vaccine even if you’ve had Covid, as well. They both agreed that it is a community effort and once you start to get churches and social organizations involved, more people will follow. The vaccine is incredibly available, but many people have their own reservations about it.
For those who have a fear of needles, the nurses who ad