Less people are getting COVID-19 vaccines in Pender County

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Pender County seeing a drop in the number of residents seeking COVID-19 vaccines.

Pender County Health and Human Services officials are saying the numbers are so low, they are no longer holding mass vaccination clinics in the county.

Around 44% of Pender County residents over the age of 18 have been fully vaccinated.

Carolyn Moser, Health and Human Services Director for Pender County, says the number of residents receiving the vaccine has dropped significantly in the past few weeks.

“The numbers continue to drop. You know, where as we were doing 1500 vaccines in a week, we’re down to a couple of hundred,” said Carolyn Moser, Health and Human Services Director for Pender County.

Pender County has exceeded their goal percentage in vaccinating the Hispanic and African-American communities.

“The Office for Minority Health and the Farm Workers Migrant Program, have both helped us to give opportunities to get the word out about vaccination to these populations, and I know that the migrant farm worker program in Pender County has been quite successful going out to the farms to vaccinate,” said Moser.

The county health department began offering the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 12 to 17 last week, and hope to make residents aware of its availability.

“We haven’t had a huge response, but you know, the word is just now getting out, and how many parents take us up on that offer, I don’t know. We’ve vaccinated maybe 200 children between 12 and 17 right now, and that’s less than one percent,” said Moser.

For those looking to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Pender County, they are accepting walk-ins at the county health department in Burgaw, and on Thursdays at the Hampstead Annex.