New York State In-depth

Buffalo pharmacist continues to push for COVID-19 vaccinations

A third of the US population still has not been fully vaccinated and a Buffalo pharmacist is trying to change that.

BUFFALO, NY — More than two years into the pandemic, and still a third of the US population has not been fully vaccinated and a Buffalo pharmacist is trying to change that.

There seems to be three main reasons why people are still hesitant to take the vaccine, those who are waiting for more information on vaccines, those who don’t trust the vaccine, or those who just don’t think they need it.

So that’s why Brad Arthur continues to work to remove the hesitation. Arthur is a pharmacist at Black Rock Pharmacy in Buffalo.

The pharmacy serves a diverse population made up of Latino, Black, and Burmese people, as well as a large number of seniors who rely on Medicaid.

He encourages people, especially those who are in a vulnerable age group, to get a booster. Even if you are exposed to the new variants, he said it will decrease the likelihood of severe illness or hospitalization. And even this far into vaccination efforts, Arthur said he is seeing new faces coming in to get their shots.

“If you talk to them a little bit, they were vaccine-hesitant or there were some incidents in their lives that prompted them to get the vaccine, either themselves or a loved one got sick,” Arthur said.

“Because I didn’t want to get ill… it was killing and stuff and I wasn’t ready to go,” said Mark Link, a customer at Black Rock Pharmacy.

Link has been going to the pharmacy for years. Link said getting the vaccine was not a question for him.

Arthur said the CDC and pharmaceutical companies are working on new versions of the vaccines that will hopefully be better at preventing transmissions while continuing to keep people out of the hospital. He is reminding the public to keep an open mind and reach out if you have any questions.

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