- So, today we're going to Sojourner's,
which is a shelter that houses men, women, and children.
This is our fourth week going there.
They've been in lockdown because of an outbreak four weeks ago.
Every time we go to test them, there's another positive.
Everyone that we've tested that's been positive
are unvaccinated,
so we're trying to talk to them about getting vaccinated.
- Are you guys interested in getting the vaccine?
- I'm already vaccinated.
- As COVID cases have risen nationwide, West Virginia
has seen some of the sharpest increases in the country,
and in some of the most vulnerable communities.
Outbreaks can lead to a cascading set of problems.
- So, you know, if someone's on the street
and needs to get in the shelter
when the shelter's in lockdown right now,
then they can't take new residents into the shelter.
So that's our goal, is to get it opened back up.
- Alright. Alright, here we go.
- Kanawha County, where Charleston's located,
is averaging about 70 cases per day for every 100,000 residents.
That's better than most other counties in the state,
which has one of the worst hospitalization
and case rates in the country,
according to Washington Post data.
- It is hard when you've done this all day, every day
for, you know, 18, 20 months.
And we can't even move beyond this,
because we can't get everybody to get vaccinated.
- It wasn't always like this.
Last winter, West Virginia
led the country in vaccination rates.
- We were doing these mass clinics one to two days
a week where we would do,
you know, thousands and thousands of people.
I remember we would be out in the cold
and we were out there vaccinating, vaccinating,
vaccinating everywhere we could --
high rises, here, there, everywhere.
People were, you know, "Get a vaccine!
Gotta get vaccine!"
And then it was just like all of a sudden,
we kind of, like, hit a wall.
- Today, just a little more than 40% of eligible
West Virginians are fully inoculated,
and just 48% statewide have had at least one dose --
among the lowest rates in the US.
- That's kind of when the reality was setting in,
like wow, for me.
There's this many people that are vaccine-resistant,
and there's this many people
that are buying into the rhetoric.
- Now, it's not -- -I'm not an anti-vacciner.
- I know you're not. But the push --
sometimes the push is so great, it gives you pause.
- Well, you get 16 paragraphs into this thing --
-Settle notes that while the state
has done well with older residents,
convincing younger people remains a challenge.
- Ready? - Ready.
- So, every time they say no, I try to take that
as an opportunity to stop and, you know, listen and not judge,
but try to educate people about what we're seeing out here.
The reality is it's not what you're seeing on Facebook.
It's not what you're seeing on social media, on TikTok.
The reality is I don't have to
go to the TV to see what's going on.
All I got to do is walk out back and see how many people are,
you know, being sick.
- Hi, folks. How we doing today?
- Every day, Monday through Friday, 8 to 4,
we have our testing lines going.
We generally have two lines for testing,
and most of the time,
it's backed out all the way on the street.
- Are you here for a booster shot?
- No. - Are you here for a vaccine,
period, or are you here for testing?
- Just for testing. - Okay.
Is there a reason why -- Are you guys vaccinated?
- No. - Okay.
Is there a reason you guys aren't interested in vaccine?
- I just think that it wasn't tested long enough.
And you just don't know what it's going to do
to your system five or ten years down the road.
They don't know.
- While most in line this morning are receiving
their booster shot -- -How are you today?
- others are getting their first dose.
- Doing fantastic.
- Some peace of mind, just because I know that
if I do get it, it won't be as bad.
Well, they're saying it won't be as bad.
But I'm just nervous altogether.
Maybe once I get it, I'll feel better [laughs].
- Alright, all done for you.
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
- Further north, in the town of Buckhannon,
the health department was giving up to 800 doses
of the vaccine per week last winter.
The clinic now averages about 25 people per day for first doses.
On this day, after five new vaccinations in the morning,
the remaining five appointments are no-shows.
- It's frustrating.
It's frustrating to all of us.
We just make sure that we've got people
scheduled for the next day
because we'll be doing the second doses tomorrow,
so we call them again today to remind them.
And then we try to reschedule
the people that canceled for the next day.
I mean, we all carry it home
with us at night, though, you know?
- Laura Jones runs a clinic in Morgantown.
She hopes the Biden administration's new vaccine
mandates will encourage more people in the state
to get the shot.
- That's something that West Virginia prides itself on,
being independent,
individualist, rugged individualists.
And in a pandemic, that's not necessarily a strength.
- George Lightener never planned on getting vaccinated.
- Up until now, I've always strongly believed
against getting the vaccine because I felt
that it was released too soon onto the public
without proper testing
and I was concerned about the side effects.
- But last week, after his employer
took steps to require vaccines for all employees,
Lightener received his first dose of Moderna.
- I mean, you're talking about their jobs.
We're already going through hard times now
because of the pandemic.
I mean, people are being evicted.
They're behind on their bills.
They're going to have no other choice, like myself,
and say that just might as well go for it.
'Cause I can't survive without my job.
I really can't.
It's rough out there.