Leaders use press conference to continue the push for vaccination

Leaders in Dougherty County are not holding back on just how serious COVID-19 is, as the county coroner, Michael Fowler, said he is getting exhausted of attending constant funerals.

Going into the weekend less than half of the Dougherty County community is fully vaccinated, leaders and medical representatives are hoping that, that percentage will increase after the incentive based vaccination clinic on Saturday, September 18.

The county commission chair, Christopher Cohilas, explained that right now there is not enough immunity or strength within this community and too many people are dying because of that.

The overarching message at the press conference was the need to get the vaccine, the CEO of Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, Joe Austin, tried a different approach to reason with those who still have yet to get the shot.

Austin said that by looking at the entire country over the last month, 25% of cases have been pediatric ones.

Austin says, "if you don't want to get vaccinated for yourself, please get vaccinated for your children, your grandchildren, because you can take it and you can give it to one of your children and none of us want that."

Protecting the children isn't the only urgency of getting the vaccine, Dougherty County EMS Director, Sam Allen, also mentioned that with the holiday season approaching, time is running out to become fully vaccinated beforehand.

Allen urges the community to not delay on getting the shot so that they won't see another spike in cases this winter.

Coroner Fowler is being as real with the unvaccinated community as can be, saying that "next week you never know it could be you."

Fowler and other leaders are hoping that by being transparent with the community, that it will encourage those unvaccinated to reconsider and get the shot.