Vaccine Demand Down in HV; Return to Normal May Now Take Longer

It's crazy to think that a return to normalcy is within our reach, but a growing number of people in the Hudson Valley just don't want to help that happen.

On Tuesday morning Dutchess County announced that there were new vaccine appointments available this week at their POD site in the old JC Penney building at the Poughkeepsie Galleria. Up until recently, those appointments would be gone in seconds, but one day later there are still hundreds of appointments available for vaccines that are going unused.

A similar situation happened last week in Orange County, where only 35% of the population currently has received their first shot, the lowest percentage in the region. Orange had a surge in available vaccines and was challenged to find enough people willing to make an appointment for them.

It's unclear why there are suddenly so many available vaccine appointments going unused in the Hudson Valley. It's most likely a combination of an increase in supply and the fact that those who were enthusiastic about getting vaccinated have already received their shot. Unfortunately, those who are procrastinating or unwilling to get vaccinated will only make it tougher for the Hudson Valley to fully reopen.

Those who rushed to get their vaccines were hopeful that they would soon see a return to normalcy, but that happening any time soon seems unlikely if the rest of the population doesn't get on board. It's a frustrating situation for many local business owners and families who know an end is within reach, but people just aren't motivated to get vaccinated.

Vaccine hesitancy has been a fear of medical experts for a while. Misinformation about the virus and how the vaccines work is a big part of the problem. While the creation of these highly effective vaccines has been touted as a miracle of science, it'll only effective in reopening the Hudson Valley if everyone does their part.