ANSONIA — With new COVID-19 cases on the rise across the U.S. thanks to the Delta variant, Griffin Health released three new public service announcement videos to YouTube over the weekend.
Two of the PSAs target young people, encouraging them to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The latest ‘Vax The Valley’ campaign was announced in a prepared statement Friday by state Rep. Kara Rochelle, who represents Ansonia and Derby.
Rochelle’s press release pointed out that Ansonia’s youngest residents are not getting the COVID-19 vaccination at the same rate as the rest of Connecticut. Data from the state shows that 38.6 percent of Ansonia residents between the ages of 12 and 17 have ‘initiated’ vaccination, meaning they’ve received one shot. Meanwhile, 57.9 percent of people between 12 and 15 statewide have started vaccination, Rochelle noted.
According to the most recent state data, 30.3 percent of Ansonia residents between 12 and 17 are fully vaccinated. That’s the 15th lowest in the state. Bridgeport and Waterbury are at about 29 percent among that age group.
In the 18 – 24 age group, Ansonia is last in the lower Naugatuck Valley (Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Naugatuck, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton) with 42.6 percent. In the 25 to 44 age group, Ansonia stands at 49.4 percent, the lowest rate in the Naugatuck Valley.
“The vaccine is available throughout the community, but local vaccination rates have stagnated in Ansonia,” Rochelle said. “They lag in rates across the region and state. We’re finding that people in the district may be hesitant to get the vaccine, or have taken a wait and see approach. I encourage these residents to speak with their doctor, a medical professional, or public health official to get the best information on the vaccines.”
The PSA Videos
The latest campaign is similar to an effort the hospital launched in January targeting people of color.
Two of the new videos from Griffin Health are specifically targeting young people. One 30-second video features Henry Rondon, the assistant executive director of the CAS-CIAC. Rondon says getting vaccinated can help youth athletic programs across the state return to normal.
His video is posted below:
Another video features Breon Sanders of the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley. Sanders points out COVID-19 cases have risen during the past year among people 18 to 24. “Everyone has their different opinions on why you should or should not get the vaccine. My choice to receive the vaccine was a personal decision. I decided to do this to protect my children and the hundreds of children the Boys & Girls Club serves,” Sanders said in a prepared statement.
The hospital is planning to aggressively market the videos, which includes purchasing ads on social media.
“These videos feature community members who wish to encourage others in Ansonia to get vaccinated and slow the spread of new COVID-19 cases,” Rochelle said. “With the Delta variant being twice as infectious, it will take everyone in our community doing their part to protect those who cannot get protected. This means masking up and rolling up our sleeves to get vaccinated when we can.”
A third video features Pastor Dennis Marroquin of New Beginnings Church of God in Derby. He talks about how getting the vaccine will allow people to get back to normal.
The Per Capita Rates
Last week Ansonia and Beacon Falls were two of 39 communities designated as COVID-19 ‘red zones.’ That means the per capita rates in those communities was 15 or above. Ansonia’s two-week per capita rate was 16.5. The per capita rate in Beacon Falls was 18.4. The rates are still much lower than in April. New data will be released Thursday.
This list covers the percentage of the population in each town who’ve initiated vaccination:
Derby
71.9
Shelton
66.7
Oxford
65
Seymour
62.8
Beacon Falls
62.1
Naugatuck
59.1
Ansonia
54.9 percent
Rochelle’s prepared statement cites state data showing the impact of the Delta COVID-19 variant on Connecticut:
“The proportion of COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant has increased from 14.6 percent from June 3 through June 9, to 100 percent from July 22 through August 4. The Delta variant has been found to be more contagious than other COVID-19 strains and can be transmitted from people who are vaccinated. While recent studies have found that vaccinated individuals can transmit the virus, it is important to note that vaccinated individuals are better protected against a severe COVID-19 infection.”
Today in Connecticut, the vast majority of COVID-19 hospitalizations are people who are not vaccinated.
According to state data from Aug. 3, of the over 2.1 million Connecticut residents who are fully vaccinated, about 0.06 percent have contracted COVID-19. The vaccines do not make people immune, but they have proven effective in protecting against serious illness.
Yet vaccine hesitation is real in the lower Naugatuck Valley, if social media posts count as evidence.
The Valley Indy’s Facebook page has 17,500 followers, the vast majority of whom live in Connecticut, according to Facebook.
Since COVID-19 arrived in Connecticut in March 2020, comments on Valley Indy Facebook questioning the legitimacy of the pandemic have been commonplace.
Initially a chunk of readers — including a few elected officials and emergency responders — questioned the legitimacy of data released from the state, and asserted COVID-19 was no different than seasonal flu.
Today a chunk of readers argue that the rise of recent cases is proof that the vaccines do not work, which is not true. Other readers routinely downplay the pandemic by asserting their distrust of the media and the government. Masks for children in schools are also a controversial subject, with a growing group of parents opposing them in Seymour and Ansonia.
Ansonia’s vaccination rate is especially curious, since Mayor David Cassetti’s administration has had, by far, the most active public relations campaign locally to get people vaccinated.
There are many places to get a COVID-19 vaccine, including (source is Rochelle’s press release):
Vax the Valley clinic at the former Ansonia Community Action building, 4 Fourth St. (lower level)
Mondays from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, 121 Wakelee Ave., Ansonia:
Walk-in COVID-19 vaccination
Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Griffin Hospital Walk-In Vaccination Centers
10 Progress Drive, Shelton
Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
727 Rubber Ave., Naugatuck
Monday – Friday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Naugatuck Valley Health District
100 Bank St.
Friday 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Walk-in vaccine clinic or individuals can schedule an appointment in VAMS.
Residents can find additional vaccine sites at https://bit.ly/3CA1Grx.
They can also call CT’s Vaccine Appointment Assist Line at 877 – 918-2224 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week.
A list of locations Griffin Hospital’s mobile vaccine clinic will be visiting is available at https://www.griffinhealth.org/Coronavirus-COVID19-Information/COVID-19-Vaccination.
