With the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in Russell County, some of the leaders at Russell County Hospital are encouraging residents to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
One of those is Dr. Richard Perkins, the chief hospitalist and emergency room director at the hospital. Working on the frontlines of the pandemic, Perkins has cared for multiple COVID patients, and has seen the difference vaccination can make for patients.
“I can tell you from my personal experience that the people we see, almost all have not been vaccinated that had the disease,” Perkins said. “I have seen a lot of people in our town die from COVID-related disease. I have seen very few people have any substantial reaction to the vaccine. I’m not aware of anyone in Russell County that has died from the vaccine.”
Perkins added that getting vaccinated not only helps protect the individual who receives the vaccine, but in turn better protects the community.
“Let me say this, getting vaccinated isn’t just protecting that one person,” Perkins said. “A lot of people talk about their body and their right, and I agree with that, but vaccination protects all of us. The more people that are vaccinated, the less problem our community is going to have, the safer it’s going to be for our kids to go to school, the safer it’s going to be for grandparents to be in the nursing home, the safer it’s going to be for people to be in the hospital. It’s really a big thing.”
Some people express concern about the safety of the vaccines. Perkins says he believes them to be both safe and effective.
“We now have one [Pfizer] that is fully approved by the FDA and the others that have received emergency use authorization have been used more than many, many drugs that have been fully approved, and those are expected to be fully approved as well,” Perkins said.
Perkins said for those who possess risk factors for COVID-19 such as the elderly, those who are overweight, or have underlying conditions, such as lung disease or cardiovascular disease, getting the vaccine is even more important.
“A lot of people in our community have COPD or asthma, or they have diabetes or are overweight,” Perkins said. “Some experts feel that being overweight may be one of the most serious risk factors. People who are immunocompromised or have cancer, all those people in those categories really need to be vaccinated.”
Russell County Hospital CEO Patrick Branco said vaccination is key for the community to get a better handle on the spread of the virus.
“The one way to get control of this virus is to get as many people vaccinated in our community as possible,” Branco said. “Encourage yourselves, your family, everybody… and it might come across as a joke to some when I say do it for your community, but by all means, do it for your neighbors, do it for your family. Let’s keep everyone in this county safe. It’s a simple thing to do and it benefits the people you love and the community. Let’s make it happen.”
And while Branco said the hospital will not mandate that employees take the vaccine as a requirement to keep their job, he said he is highly recommending it to unvaccinated staff.
“It’s all about the language of mandate versus personal choice,” Branco said. “What we are doing is strongly recommending that all our staff get vaccinated and those who do not, or cannot, or choose not to will be undergoing periodic testing and wearing masks at all times. I believe we have a strong commitment to the vaccine.”
Where can I be vaccinated?
According to the Lake Cumberland District Health Department, here are some local places you can contact to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
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Russell County Hospital – Russell Springs: Call 1-270-866-4141.
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Russell County Health Department 270-343-2181
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Cumberland Family Medical Centers Text Russell to 270-864-2889
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Jamestown Pharmacy 270-343-4443
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Russell Springs Pharmacy 270-866-2778
