Letter to the editor: Vaccine refusal is concerning

It is encouraging that the number of vaccinations in Westmoreland County is on the rise. However, I am concerned about the large number of people who are reluctant or have even refused to be vaccinated.

As an example, I recently heard a nurse discussing why she was not getting vaccinated, which was based on misinformation surrounding the vaccine. While vaccination rates among health care workers in Pennsylvania hover around 60%, the top eight U.S. health care systems have achieved staff vaccination rates greater than 80%, with some clinics achieving more than 90%.

How, then, did these institutions achieve such high rates of vaccination among their staff? Peer-to-peer outreach, vaccine champions, ongoing education and outreach, and effective leadership at all levels including the nursing units, have been critical to their success.

These strategies also have broad applicability and can be employed to effectively address vaccine hesitancy among county employees in the courthouse, Westmoreland Manor and the county prison. But it starts with the county commissioners providing very public and ongoing leadership and outreach.

I call on our county commissioners to use all the available tools and strategies to improve vaccination rates among county employees, and provide an example of success throughout the county.

Michael Pardus

Hempfield