CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper has a third shot of the COVID-19 vaccine under his belt and for good reason, following Centers for Disease Control and Federal Drug Administration guidance.
Carper is immunocompromised following a kidney transplant operation in April 2019. He told MetroNews flagship 580-WCHS in Charleston recently that his transplant, his older age and the fact he’s on a heavy anti-medication rejection regime is why he got another shot.
“If you take a look at the guidelines from the CDC and the FDA, their determination was those who have received a solid organ recipient should be considered to get the booster as soon as possible,” Carper said.
Carper said he received his first coronavirus vaccine nearly eight months ago. The Wall Street Journal reported in recent weeks that U.S. health regulators could approve a third COVID-19 shot for adults beginning at least six months after full vaccination. Right now, local health leaders are giving them to the immunocompromised.
Carper said a booster shot is what was expected with this vaccine and that’s fine.
“The public was not lied to about the vaccines. We all knew if we listened that there was no guarantee they’d be permanent. Depending on your age, medical condition and length of time when you received the shot, vaccines wane,” he said.
According to the commission president, Kanawha County residents have been interested in the third shot, mainly the elder population and ones who received first shots in the winter. Carper did say he would like the federal government to pick up the pace with distribution and approval of third doses for everyone.
“People are very interested in it. We’ve seen people who have cancer or are heavily exposed to the virus, primarily their age where they are heavily exposed and they have conditions,” Carper said.
On Friday, the state Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) confirmed 69.8% of Kanawha County’s population has received the COVID-19 vaccine, equaling to 108,157 people. 93.3% of those 71 years and older have been vaccinated.
The DHHR’s Friday report took active cases in West Virginia above the 13,000 mark. 13,766 are the highest number of active cases since Feb. 11.
Carper said the only way to get out of the pandemic is to band together because ‘it’s not over.’
“We have to do more,” Carper said. “We are all in this together and as Dr. (Sherri) Young says we can end this together. We have to start trusting to our health officials, we have to start listening to our doctors and we have to start pulling together.”