MOHAVE COUNTY – The COVID-19 pandemic is a subject of much debate. According to a Pew research poll approximately half of all citizens in the U.S. disagree with statistics regarding the virus. Some even calling it a hoax. This hasn’t stopped county residents from lining up to get vaccinated.

80-year-old Kingman resident Teddi Ronchetti-Kinkella has received her vaccination an appointment for her second vaccination. Ronchetti-Kinkella is an advocate for inoculation, as well as social distancing, washing hands, and wearing a mask. She stated that her son and herself began quarantine approximately a year ago. They buy their groceries online and closed their business, The Sportsman Bar. “We were so frightened the staff would be exposed,” said Ronchetti-Kinkella. She also went on to say, “The isolation has been the hardest part.”

As far as being vaccinated, Ronchetti-Kinkella explained that she hardly felt the vaccine at all, with mild soreness at the injection site. She also stated that she felt mild muscle aches and fatigue for about two weeks. Along with scores of other seniors, she received her first vaccination on Feb. 10 at Mohave County Fairgrounds.

“We had to wait in the car for two hours. We were offered water and snacks while we waited,” said Ronchetti-Kinkella. She also said she had prefilled out her registration online through the Health Department. Ronchetti-Kinkella was very satisfied with her experience getting the COVID-19 vaccination.

According to Mohave County Director of Communication Roger Galloway those who have been vaccinated in Mohave County have had favorable results. There have been no reported adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine aside from normal and anticipated side effects such as fatigue and headache. As of last week, some 37,700 doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in our county. Mohave County is currently in Phase 1B which includes protective services, persons 75 years or older, education and child care workers, and anyone 65 years and older. Galloway also stated, “If you get the vaccine we’re not saying you will never get COVID-19. It just may not be as bad.” Galloway said, “Right now if you get two doses that is good, how long it lasts we’ll have to see.” With the county standing behind the use of Moderna brand vaccination Galloway stated that it’s an excellent vaccine with an effectiveness of around 94 to 96%.

With a torrent of information, some residents are reluctant to get vaccinated for COVID-19. A survey posted in the economist states that 63% of people say they will not get vaccinated or are unsure if they will get vaccinated.

Most medical professionals agree that the long-term side effects of having contracted the coronavirus outweigh the potential for side effects of the vaccination. Concerns include the concept that it could change the recipient’s DNA. This has been proven false. The mRNA does not enter the cell and this protects the recipient from the danger of changing their genetics.

Still county residents have their reservations. Some say they will wait and see how others are reacting to the vaccination. With anything concerning COVID-19, there has been much speculation and hearsay. Some residents are denying that COVID-19 is even real, even taking to the streets in protest.

One such person, a Kingman local who preferred to remain anonymous, said, “These companies (vaccine makers) have a theory that if you get vaccinated for a certain virus your body will create antibodies to fight that virus. Well your body does that by itself you don’t need a vaccine for that.” He also said he thought the COVID-19 statistics are inflated. The Kingman resident stands in protest every other low-wind day holding a sign denouncing vaccines.

A simple description of how the Moderna vaccine works is this:  mRNA(messenger ribonucleic acid) is the chief ingredient. mRNA serves as a block of instruction. When delivered to the body’s cells the mRNA instructs the cell to produce a protein spike. The body then identifies this spike as SARS-CoV-2.  Your body then produces antibodies to fight the coronavirus and intuitively knows how to fight any future infection of the actual coronavirus. Other minor ingredients include lipids which are fats that keep the mRNA from breaking down, salts and PH buffers matching the body’s PH balance, and sucrose. Sucrose is the chemical name for table sugar and serves as a preservative for the vaccine until administered. It is important to note that the current vaccines produced to combat COVID-19 do not contain any mercury, thimerosal, or other preservatives and the mRNA does not enter the cell.

For more information on COVID-19 in general take a look at the Mohave County Corona Virus Response Hub https://covid-19-mohave.hub.arcgis.com/ or call 928-753-0714. You can get statistics and figures about the coronaviruses and find locations to be vaccinated along with a schedule for the phases of the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out. 

Chad Walker