"People told us that they had been thinking about it, but it wasn’t a priority"

Did you hear people talk about why they hadn’t gotten the shot yet? I was one of the vaccinators. People told us that they had been thinking about it, but it wasn’t a priority Now we were giving them something that they liked in a place where they like to go. So they thought, “Why not? I’ll do it.” People told me they were excited—that they weren’t planning to get a vaccine but did want one. Or they hadn’t made a solid plan. There were some people who had questions, and I was there to answer those questions. And so this was the tipping point that changed their mind and motivated them to get a vaccine that day. We were also able to get people that work at the restaurant, the kitchen and the brewery, who hadn’t planned on getting vaccinated. We made it easy for them. It just takes a few minutes just to get the vaccine. We watched them for 15 minutes, and then they’re good to go.
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Was anyone still reluctant when you approached them? There were a few times during the clinic when I took a break from vaccinating, and went around to the different tables in the Brewery and introduced myself, “Hi, I’m Dr. Gale Burstein for the Erie County Health Department. Just wondering if anybody would be interested in getting a free COVID-19 vaccine today and a free pint of beer to ensure you enjoy your afternoon.” And at one table everybody said, “Oh, we’ve all been vaccinated already.” And then one person said, “Well, I haven’t been vaccinated yet.” And I said, “Hey, come on. You could do it right now, and you can have a beer on us.” She said, “I’m not sure.” And everybody else in the table went “Come on, you have to get vaccinated too! Be safe with us!” They kept encouraging her. And, finally, she conceded to peer pressure and followed me over to that portion of the Brewery where we were operating the vaccine clinic. I promised, “I’m the Erie County Health Commissioner and I will vaccinate you myself.” And I did.
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