Thanks to the COVID-19 vaccinations, seniors are back out and about in the community. Through Knox County Community Health Center and its partnership with Knox Public Health, more than 16,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered.
“Since seniors were one of the first phases opened to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, we were able to lean on them for support to get the rest of our community vaccinated as phases opened up,” said Lane Belangia, Health Center CEO. “We would like to extend our most heartfelt thanks to the seniors who helped at our mass vaccination sites. With their assistance, we were able to minimize burnout amongst our staff and come together as a community to fight this pandemic.”
The Health Center continues to provide COVID-19 vaccines in-house at the Mount Vernon location on Upper Gilchrist Road and the Danville Community Health Center location on East Main Street. “We know that there are still seniors in our community who want to be vaccinated,” Belangia said. This is evident by the number of individuals scheduling vaccine appointments each week. During an average week, the Health Center locations are scheduling more than 20 COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
There have been many explanations why seniors delayed getting their COVID-19 vaccination.
“Maybe you were not in good health to receive the vaccine in the spring, or you wanted to take some time to talk to your doctor and determine which vaccine was right for you. Either way, we understand and are happy to vaccinate anyone who walks through our doors,” Belangia said.
With vaccines on board, seniors are getting out and enjoying a life full of social events, volunteering, and gathering together once again! This is what Knox County needs – a healthy community where members are again taking care of their mental, emotional and physical well-being.
To schedule your COVID-19 vaccine or any of the other medical, dental or counseling services offered by the Knox County Community Health Center in Danville or Mount Vernon, please call 740-399-8008.
