Four years after the pandemic began, the coronavirus vaccine remains a point of contention for some Mohave County residents, with the County Board of Supervisors seeking $295,798 to provide vaccines to uninsured residents. Rejected partnership.
The number of coronavirus cases dropped sharply across the state from 2022 to 2023, with the number of newly reported cases near an all-time low. This week, the Mohave County Public Health Department sought to renew its partnership with the Arizona Department of Health Services under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Bridge Access Program. The program would have reimbursed the cost of vaccines provided to uninsured adults countywide, but a 3-2 vote by the Mohave County Board of Supervisors on Monday ended the county's partnership.
Pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens will continue to participate in the program, but Mohave County Health Director Chad Kingsley said Tuesday that the county's participation will make vaccines available to uninsured residents in rural areas as well. He said he was deaf. The program only provides reimbursement, and the monetary value to the county depends entirely on the number of residents who would have participated.
“There are approximately 100,000 people in our county who have accepted the new vaccine,” Kingsley said. “About 10% of our population is uninsured. This funding will provide up to 5,000 vaccines if someone needs them.”
Kingsley said there is no requirement for uninsured residents to get vaccinated through the program, and all patients will be provided with information about the potential health risks associated with coronavirus and other vaccines. said that it would have been done. The cost of getting a coronavirus vaccine without insurance remains in the $115 to $130 range, Kingsley said. But Supervisor Ron Gould said there has been a significant drop in demand for vaccines among county residents.
“Some people came knocking on our office door during the so-called pandemic,” Supervisor Ron Gould said at Tuesday’s board meeting. “I had to help them get vaccinated because they were so scared. I don't think that fear exists anymore. If people want it, they don't have to be poor to afford the vaccine. I don't think it's a matter of not having it. I think those people are choosing not to have insurance…If you're worried and want to get vaccinated, you can pay for it yourself if you want. ”
State health records as of this week show about 53.1% of Mohave County residents have not received at least two doses of a coronavirus vaccine since 2021. And this week, some Mohave County residents continued to oppose the vaccine.
The Mohave County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 against renewing the county's partnership with the Arizona Department of Public Health to cover coronavirus vaccinations for uninsured patients. The decision was opposed by Supervisors Buster Johnson and Gene Bishop.
