Princess Anne, Crisfield named top two areas in Somerset CO. with most unvaccinated adults

SOMERSET COUNTY- Princess Anne and Crisfield are the top two areas in Somerset County with the most unvaccinated adults according to the State.

“It really doesn’t surprise me, everything’s happening so fast,” Garland Hayward, Vice President of Princess Anne Town Commission, said.

Princess Anne has 28.8% of their population vaccinated, while Crisfield has 46.5%.

But, the Somerset Health Department said it’s important not to get caught up on these numbers.

“We are a small rural county, so two people vaccinated in Prince George’s County means nothing, two people vaccinated or not vaccinated in Princess Anne and Crisfield where the population is so low is a huge factor,” Sharon Lynch, Director of Preventative Health Services and Communication for Somerset Health Department, said.

We’re told we are seeing these percentages because of two different groups, people who are getting vaccinated and those who aren’t.

“Theres a group of people who for many wonderful valid reasons don’t want to get vaccinated yet or are choosing not to, so that’s where kind of the difference in numbers is coming from,” Lynch said.

The Somerset Health Department explains there’s still some who have hesitations about the vaccines.

Hayward agrees.

“People are still concerned about how it will effect them,” Hayward said.

“With everything opening up, you know people tend when everything’s going okay people tend to let their guards down and not realize that hey there’s a serious disease out there,” Hayward said.

With that said, we’re told continuing to talk about the vaccine and supporting others to get it can make a difference.

“A lot of it really stems from having conversations with people, talking about your experience,” Lynch said.

“I garland Hayward was very apprehensive about getting the shot, I got the shot, now I’m glad that I got it and I encourage others to do the same,” Hayward said.

The health department said they are still trying to eliminate those transportation barriers to getting to vaccines, by doing pop up vaccination clinics and having a home bound program.

The health department said what’s most concerning are many of the COVID infections, hospitalizations, and deaths are now coming from those who haven’t been vaccinated.