THEY DONT REALIZE THEIR
BEHAVIORS ARE KEEPING US FROM
OUR FAMILY MEMBERS.
>> CATHY PARK WITH THAT REPORT.
WE TOLD YOU ONE OF THE
HEARTBREAKING STORIES FROM THE
"NEW YORK TIMES."
IT IS TITLED THEY SPURNED THE
VACCINE AND NOW THEY WANT YOU TO
KNOW THEY REGRET IT.
SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE QUICK TO
EMBRACE THE VACCINES ARE NOW
CHOOSING TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT FAMILY MEMBERS THAT DID NOT.
FAMILY MEMBERS THAT DID NOT.
ERICA THOMPSON, A MOTHER FROM
ST. LOUIS, DIED AFTER SHE HAD
WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS A BAD
ASTHMA ATTACK.
I REALLY THINK MY DAUGHTER WOULD
WANT KNOW SAY GO GET VACCINATED. HER MOTHER SAID THAT SHE HAD
HER MOTHER SAID THAT SHE HAD
BEEN AREAY ABOUT HOW THEY ROLLED
UT AND THEE BELIEVED THE
GOVERNMENT RUN CAMPAIGN WAS A
PLOT AGAINST BLACK PEOPLE LIKE HER.
LETS BRING IN JACK HEALEY.
ALSO BRITNEY MAHIA.
SHE IS COVERING WHY IT TOOK SOME
PEOPLE SO LONG.
BACK TO THE CASE OF THAT MOM.
WHERE WAS HER DAUGHTER GETTING
HER INFORMATION?
>> LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE, SHE WAS GETTING INFORMATION FROM SOCIAL
GETTING INFORMATION FROM SOCIAL
MEDIA THERE HAS BEEN A WEALTH OF
DISINFORMATION CIRCULATING THAT
ENCOURAGED PEOPLES HE HAS
DAEGSS AND LEAD TO PEOPLE HAVING
THEIR DOUBTS REINFORCED.
IN THIS CASE THERE WAS NOTHING
THAT HER MOM COULD DO TO
CONVINCE HER TO GET THE VACCINE.
EVEN THOUGH HER MOM GOT IT AND
BASICALLY IN THIS CASE HER
DAUGHTER SAID, YOU KNOW, IM
JUST NOT CERTAIN, IM JUST NOT
CERTAIN, AND HER MOM TRIED TO
TELL HER THAT NOTHING IN LIFE IS
CERTAIN, BUT THIS IS THE BEST WE
GOT.
ULTIMATELY SHE DIDNT LISTEN,
SHE DIDNT GET THE VACCINE AND
SHE ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL.
IT WAS REALLY HEARTBREAKING
BECAUSE OF WHAT KIMBERLY TOLD ME
WAS THAT HER DAUGHTER DIDNT
WANT TO BE SEDATED, DIDNT WANT
TO GO ON A VENTILATOR, AND THE
DAY THEY FINALLY HAD TO DO IT
HER MOM SAID BILL THERE WHEN YOU
WAKE UP, AND SAYING TO HER, AS
THEY SEDATED HER AND PUT HER
UNDER, AND OF COURSE SHE JUST,
SHE NEVER REALLY WOKE UP UNTIL
HER LAST MOMENT WHEN THEY
FINALLY TOOK HER OFF OF THE VENT
AND SHE PASSED AWAY.
AND WHAT KIMBERLY TOLD ME HER
DAUGHTERS LAST WORDS WERE WERE
"MAMA I CANT BREATHE."
THE STORIES ARE HEARTBREAKING.
THE REASON I WROTE THIS PIECE IS
THAT FAMILIES ARE TRYING TO
SPEAK OUT TO SAY DONT BE LIKE
US, DONT GO THROUGH THIS
JOURNEY THAT WE HAVE BEEN FORCED
TO GO THROUGH.
>> AND OVER TIME THE ANSWER IS
THE SAME, IT COMES FROM SOCIAL
MEDIA.
FROM PLACES LIKE FACEBOOK THAT
ARE CARRYING BAD INFORMATION
EVERY DAY.
READING MORE FROM YOUR PEACE,
WHERE CORONAVIRUS CASES SPIKED,
HE SAT IN A DOWN, AND OFFERED A
PRO VACCINE TESTIMONIAL IN A
HOSPITAL VIDEO.
AND JACKSON ALSO DESCRIBED ONE
WOMANS HESITANCY SAYING IN A
SHAKING VOICE, A HOSPITAL CLINIC
INVESTIGATIONER IN RURAL UTAH DESCRIBED HOW SHE WAS PUBLED BY
DESCRIBED HOW SHE WAS PUBLED BY
DOUBLE PNEUMONIA AND SEPSIS.
SHE DID SO USING ONLY HER FIRST
NAME BECAUSE SHE WORRIED THAT
COVID DENIERS WOULD SAY SHE WAS
MAKING IT ALL UP.
I WAS ABSOLUTELY FEARFUL OF THE
NEGATIVE ASPECTS THAT COME COME
FROM IT, SHE SAID IN AN
INTERVIEW THIS WEEK.
I WAS PART OF A PROBLEM THAT I
WAS TRYING TO AVOID.
BRITNEY, TO YOUR PIECE, WHICH
ENENTITLEEN
ENTITLED "WHY HAVENT YOU BEEN
VACCINATED?
PEOPLE EXPLAINING WHY IT TOOK SO
LONG."
WHAT TOOK SO LONG?
>> YEAH, I FEEL LIKE WHAT I
LEARNED SECOND-DEGREE THAT THE
UNVACCINATED ARE NOT A MONOLITH.
A LOT OF WHAT I WAS HEARING WAS
THAT THEY ALREADY GOT COVID.
SO IN THEIR MIND THEYRE LIKE I
DONT UNDERSTAND IF I NEED TO
GET IT OR IF I HAVE IMMUNITY.
OTHER PEOPLE DIDNT HAVE TIME TO
TAKE OFF OF WORK AND HAPPENED TO
GIVE UP THEIR LUNCH HOUR THAT
FRIDAY TO GET VACCINATED.
SO THERE WAS A DESIRE, IT WAS
ABOUT ACCESS AND CONVENIENCE.
I THINK THAT IS MANAGE WE HAVE
TO CONSIDER.
PEOPLE ARE GETTING CALLED
SELFISH FOR BEING UNVACCINATED,
BUT THERE IS VARYING REASONS FOR
WHY THAT IS, AND IT IS EASY TO
CALL THEM SELFISH THAN TO
FINDOUT IT IS.
>> ONE WOMAN SAID SHE WAS
WAITING TO SEE HOW OTHER PEOPLE
REACTED TO IT.
SHE SAW ON TV ONE MAN WAITED AND
HE GOT SICK BEFORE HE GOT THE
SHOT.
THAT MOTIVATED ME, I DIDNT WANT
TO KEEP THINKING ABOUT IT.
SO THERE IS, AND YOU WRITE ABOUT
MARCO FIGUEROA WHO COMPLETED
FIVE DELIVERIES FOR WORK WHEN HE
SAW THE SIGN HE HAD BEEN WAITING
FOR.
FREE COVID VACCINES.
HE WAS WAITING TO AVOID TAKING A
DAY OFF FROM WORK.
HE WOULD TELL HIS FRIENDS,
LATER, LATER.
WHEN HE SPOTTED THE POSTER BOARD
AFFIXED TO A UTILITY POLE HE
DECIDED TO GIVE UP HIS LUNCH
HOUR TO GET VACCINATED.
THEY PARKED THEIR TRUCK IN A
LOADING ZONE ON 12th STREET AND
WAITED AS HE HEADED TO THE BLUE
TENTS WHERE TWO NURSES WERE
GIVING VACCINES.
AS HE WAITED THE TEN MINUTES, HE
GRIPPED THE SIDES OF THE BLACK
FOLDING CHAIR WHERE HE SAT NOT
BECAUSE HE WAS SCARED, HE SAID,
BUT BECAUSE HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT
FALLING BEHIND ON THE DRIVER RIE
HE HAD LEFT.
THE ISSUE IS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
IT NEEDS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE.
I KNOW THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
WAS COMMITTED TO TRYING TO MAKE
VACCINES AVAILABLE WITHIN FIVE
MILES OF MOST AMERICANS, BUT IT
IS STILL HARD FOR THOSE LIVING
PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK TO GET THE
TIME TO DO IT.
>> YEAH, DEFINITELY.
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS
HAPPENING.
AFTER THIS PIECE RAN.
HE SAID HE WAS INSPIRED TO DO
THIS AT HOME DEPOT.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO BRING THE
VACCINE TO THE PEOPLE TEEN HAVE
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS VERY
THING.
I WAS HEARING FROM PEOPLE
TELLING ME THEY HEARD
MISINFORMATION IN THEIR OWN
HOMES.
AND I THOUGHT JACKS PIECE WAS
SO GREAT.
IT TOUCHED ON ALL OF THAT AND
SHARED THESE STORIES THAT REALLY
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I THINK PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT OTHERS
THAT WAITED AND GOT THE DELTA
VARIANT AND GOT SICK, AND ITS A
MOTIVATING FACTOR.
THAT WAS A BIG PUSH FOR A LOT OF
PEOPLE THAT CAME TO THE CLIN
TAKE DAY TO GET VACCINATED.
.
>> JAG, WERE HEARING MORE
STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO IT IS TOO
LATE FOR THEM, BUT THEYRE
TELLING OTHERS HEY, DONT BE
LIKE US.
ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO GET THOSE
SHOTS.
WE ARE SEEING A RISE DOING.
WE ARE SEEING A RISE IN CASES,
BUT A RISE IN VACCINATIONS IN
SOME OF THE STATES.
WHATS YOUR SENSE, ARE THE
APPEALS WORKING.
THE PEOPLE THAT YOUVE TALKED
TO, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE WHETHER
THEYRE FRIENDS, RELATIVES,
COWORKERS, NEIGHBORS.
ARE THEY SEEING THESE STORIES OF
SUFFERING AND DECIDING, OKAY,
NOW I WILL GET THE SHOT.
>> SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE
CLOSEST TO THE FAMILIES THOOIFAT
IVE BEEN TALKING TO, IT
ABSOLUTELY MADE A DIFFERENCE FOR
THEM.
A COUSIN OR A NEIGHBOR WHO
WATCHED SOME OF THESE FAMILIES
GO THROUGH WHAT THEYVE GONE
THROUGH.
AND WHAT WAS SO GREAT ABOUT
BRITTANYS STORY, ALL OF THIS
ENCOMPASSES WHAT A
HOUSE-TO-HOUSE, FAMILY-TO-FAMILY
BATTLE THIS IS AT THIS POINT.
ITS JUST CONVINCING PEOPLE BY
PEOPLE, OF THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT
THAT IT TAKES TO BRING THROUGH
THIS HESITANCY OR THE LACK OF
ACCESS.
I TALKED TO SOME PUBLIC HEALTH
EXPERTS WHO WERE REALLY
SKEPTICAL ABOUT WHETHER EVEN
STORIES OF LIKE INCREDIBLE
SUFFERING AND EVEN DEATHS FROM
PEOPLE WHO HAD GONE THROUGH THIS
WOULD PENETRATE THE LAYERS OF
DETERMINATION AND MISINFORMATION
AND JUST RESISTANCE THAT HAVE
REALLY HARDENED OVER THESE LAST
MONTHS, WITH LIKE A LARGE, LARGE
SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION.
AND A STORY OF WATCHING, YOU
KNOW, SOMEONE WHO USED TO BE
VACCINE RESISTANT, YOU KNOW,
HAVING THEIR LOVED ONES FALL
SICK OR DIE, IF THAT DOESNT
BREAK THROUGH, THEN WHATS IT
GOING TO BE?
AND THAT WAS A REAL, REAL TOUGH
QUESTION FOR SOME OF THESE
PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS.
>> "THE NEW YORK TIMES" JACK
HEALEY AND THE "L.A. TIMES"
BRITTANY MAHEA, THANK YOU BOTH
FOR YOUR REPORTING THIS MORNING.
>>> AND UP NEXT, MOST AMERICANS
ARE DINING OUT AGAIN AND