‘Healthy West Lou’ vaccination campaign brings information, protection ahead of Omicron

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Volunteers of America offered vaccinations to people on Tuesday evening at the Shawnee Arts and Cultural Center.

The clinic partnered with local health providers to offer doses approved for all eligible ages.

Dr. Karen Krigger was at the vaccination clinic to answer questions.

“They have gotten information from social media, some of it unintentionally misinformed, some of it intentionally,” Krigger said. “And so they ask, ‘Do they need it? Is it going to affect them?’”

Krigger said there are questions about the Omicron variant and new information that seems to be coming in every day. She said doctors know vaccinated people can still contract the virus, but cases are typically mild.

“It presents a little bit differently than the Alpha and Delta waves that we’ve seen in the previous COVID vaccines, and so hopefully we’ll all have mild cases because we’re vaccinated,” she explained.

Tammy Mason got her booster shot. She said she’s not worried about the Omicron variant, but she’s prepared.

Mason said she was eager to get her initial vaccine and had no hesitation getting her booster. She has fought cancer, several strokes, and diabetes. Now, she won’t let COVID-19 take her down.

“It needs to be a community effort,” Mason said. “It can’t be one person getting a booster shot, or two people that’s going to stop this. we need the whole community the whole world to get it, to stop it.”

Myannah Bennett is seven years old and got her first shot.

“Because then I won’t get sick,” she said.

So far, no Omicron cases have been identified in the U.S., but officials are warning people to take precautions and get vaccinated just in case.

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