1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: Down would be good with me. Did your son rocking 2 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:10,959 Speaker 1: chair or straight chair? And I got support whatever chair 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: you don't want. You know, I love a good rocking chair. 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:19,159 Speaker 1: I'm in Bradley County, Arkansas, a little community of just 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: over ten thousand people in the southeastern part of the state. 6 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: It's best known for the tall, skinny pine trees that 7 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: line the roads here and a variety of pink tomato. 8 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: I'm talking with Greg Reap. I grew up here. Um 9 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: so I've been here all my life other than little 10 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: college time and uh and I got started at a 11 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: young age. I got a chance to be in the intern, 12 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: literally in the mayor's office here. Greg is sort of 13 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: famous in these parts. He started his career writing grants 14 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: at city hall in the county seat Warren. He worked 15 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,080 Speaker 1: to get roads paved and sewer systems installed in the 16 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: poorer parts of town. In the seventies, at thirty one, 17 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: he became mayor, a position he held for nearly two 18 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 1: decades until he left for a brief career in the 19 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: Arkansas State Legislature. Bradley is still a dry county, and 20 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 1: the most hopping place is Molly's Diner in downtown Warren. 21 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: Where neighbors catch up over fried bologny sandwiches and grits. 22 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,119 Speaker 1: It's the kind of place where being mayor means you 23 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: literally know everyone. We're sitting in Greg's son's downtown art gallery. 24 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 1: Greg can't help but regale me with a little bit 25 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 1: of local history. The county, he explains, was named for 26 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: Captain Hugh Bradley, an early settler of this part of 27 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: the state, and the town has long been thought to 28 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: be named for one of bradley slaves. A few years ago, 29 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: some construction workers at the county courthouse uncovered a letter 30 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: that appeared to be from Bradley son and confirmed the suspicion. 31 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: We found that letter where Hugh Bradley Junior fled out, 32 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:11,519 Speaker 1: said it, and it's still at the courthouse. I've been 33 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 1: trained to give them the city to get it and 34 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,799 Speaker 1: you know, make some kind of permanent display in city hall. 35 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 1: But I am here in this rural corner of Arkansas 36 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: to investigate another local mystery. This one has to do 37 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: with vaccines in Arkansas. We have chosen the path of 38 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: personal responsibility. The state is wide open. We aren't mandating 39 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: masks or vaccinations. We know what we must do and 40 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: for the most part, our Kansans have done the hard work. 41 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: The big task before us now is to vaccinate more Arkansas. 42 00:02:54,720 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: That's Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson talking about the major challenge 43 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: facing the state. This was in July and the state's 44 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: vaccination rate had stalled, while the super contagious delta variant 45 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 1: was spreading rapidly and hospitals were beginning to reach capacity. 46 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: Things were starting to look very grim, But there was 47 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: one bright spot. There is good news and reason for optimism. 48 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: One single county had met a goal he had set 49 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: for vaccination. More than of the population of Bradley County 50 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: has been fully vaccinated. In the coming weeks. I expect 51 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: more counties to reach that interim goal than I said, 52 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: and then we can go up from there. When I 53 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: heard about this, I googled Bradley County and I was 54 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: kind of shocked. It's not the sort of place you 55 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: would expect to be leading anywhere in vaccination rates. Bradley 56 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: is not only extremely rural, but it has a size 57 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: will black and Latino population, and a majority of people 58 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: there voted for Donald Trump in the last election. Those 59 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: are all of the demographics we know are most often 60 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: associated with vaccine hesitancy in America. When Bradley hit the 61 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:22,239 Speaker 1: mark in July, other counties in Arkansas had vaccination rates 62 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: of half that Bradley County was an outlier. I wanted 63 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: to know why, and that is what led me here 64 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 1: here to a creaky old rocking chair and Rob Reep's 65 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:53,840 Speaker 1: art gallery on Main Street in Warren, Arkansas, surrounded by 66 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 1: oil paintings of local landscapes and fish and country cottages. 67 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:08,600 Speaker 1: It all starts with Greg Reep's wife, Beverly. It's been 68 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: a tough few months here in the US. We waited 69 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: for the vaccines, that life could get back to normal, 70 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: and when the vaccine came, we got a glimpse of 71 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: that for only a very brief moment. Now we're in 72 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 1: the throes of yet another wave of the virus. Masks 73 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 1: are back, concerts are being canceled again. It's all a 74 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 1: little too much like the movie Groundhog Day. And one 75 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: of the biggest things keeping us here in this seemingly 76 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 1: never ending pandemic is the number of people who still 77 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 1: do not want to get vaccinated. Right now, about a 78 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: quarter of Americans eligible for the vaccine are still holding out. 79 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:01,279 Speaker 1: That number is not nearly good enough, especially with the 80 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 1: ultra contagious Delta variant and an increasing number of cases 81 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 1: among vaccinated people. The virus is a powerful invader, and 82 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: right now they're just aren't enough of us armed to 83 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 1: really fight back. One of the most crucial questions right 84 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: now is how to get those people still holding out 85 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:29,720 Speaker 1: to finally get vaccinated. So I went to Bradley County 86 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,480 Speaker 1: looking for answers. I'm Bloomberg News health reporter Kristin B. 87 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: Brown for the Prognosis podcast. This is Doubt, Okay, So 88 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 1: now we're back to the story of Greg and Beverly. 89 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: We both grew up here in Warren, and she was 90 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:03,480 Speaker 1: about two years younger than me, but we literally met 91 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: in school, but we actually kind of got to know 92 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,160 Speaker 1: each other. And there was a place right down the 93 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: street down here that's a truck store now, but it 94 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: was a dairy coming back in those days, and that's 95 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 1: where all the school kids hung out. Boy meets girl. 96 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: Eventually they get married. Greg went into politics and Beverly 97 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 1: became a history teacher at the local high school and 98 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: middle school. Well, she went through a couple of generations 99 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: of folks, you know, taught people and then talked her 100 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: kids and even a few grandkids. I think before she 101 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: she finally retired, Greg isn't kidding. I talked to several 102 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 1: people and Warren who had had Beverly as a teacher themselves, 103 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 1: and then she taught their kids. People have a lot 104 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: to say about her here, about how she made history fun, 105 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: and especially about her legendary week long eighth grade trips 106 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:03,840 Speaker 1: to Washington, d C. This is how Michelle Weaver, a 107 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: doctor at the hospital, put it. I think everyone knows 108 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: Beverly read. She was my teacher. You know, she was 109 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: my daughter's teacher and my son's teacher, and we all 110 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: loved her. And she took a group of students to 111 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: our in DC every year, and you know, really helped 112 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: mold people us into a well rounded adults. Beverly was 113 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 1: a local icon. Two years ago she retired, and in March, 114 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: she her husband, her son, and her daughter in law 115 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 1: embarked on her dream vacation, a whirlwind five day tour 116 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: of England and France and Christmas of two thousand eighteen. 117 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 1: She sprung it on the whole family had a video there. 118 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: She'd worked it out for the travel agency in the 119 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 1: Little Rock and it's just was narrated telling us where 120 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: we're all gonna go. We were all she set. They're 121 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: kind of astonished she had all arranged, all done. By 122 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:07,439 Speaker 1: the time the Reef family was ready to set off 123 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 1: on that dream vacation, COVID was in the headlines. It 124 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: was spreading in China and Italy, but in much of 125 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 1: the world it still seemed like a far off threat. 126 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 1: The Reefs were a little concerned, but there was no 127 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: guidance against traveling abroad yet. We even talked to missing 128 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: medical folks around here and they said, you just wash 129 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 1: your hands, keep everything clean. So in early March, off 130 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: the Reef family went to London and Normandy and Paris 131 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:44,600 Speaker 1: and Versailles. She had a blast, and so did your 132 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: son and daughter in law. And I'll have to bid 133 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: Idea too. It was it was just kind of the 134 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: trip of the last day. Meanwhile, in those early March days, 135 00:09:56,640 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 1: COVID was spreading rapidly across Europe. Cases were starting to 136 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: take up in the US, to new cases being reported 137 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: in California, Oregon, Washington State, Rhode Island, and Illinois over 138 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: the weekend. The coronavirus has now entered a devastating new phase. 139 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 1: The trajectory consider continues to go straight up. It's going 140 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 1: straight up. That blue passenger on a flight that was 141 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,679 Speaker 1: traveling from New York to Florida last night has tested 142 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:24,720 Speaker 1: positive for coronavirus. This now makes the first coronavirus death 143 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: confirmed in the US. The number of affected states cases 144 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:39,160 Speaker 1: and deaths will continue to rise. The family touchdown back 145 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: home on March twelve, the day after President Trump announced 146 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: a thirty day travel suspension to most of Europe and 147 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak was officially 148 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: a pandemic. I remember failing a little bit relieve when 149 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:00,320 Speaker 1: we got on the plane to you know it out 150 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 1: and then didn't turn out some good. Later on, about 151 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 1: a week after they returned home, Beverly started to feel sick. 152 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: She was also having a little trouble breathing. So with 153 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: COVID now everywhere in the headlines, they decided to go 154 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:22,800 Speaker 1: to the local hospital. Greg says Beverly didn't seem that 155 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: sick to him, but her illness quickly progressed. It was COVID. 156 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: She had had open heart surgery. She had to beat 157 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:36,040 Speaker 1: this anyway. I mean, she's just struggled a little bit 158 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:37,679 Speaker 1: with it. But she was up in Gunman. I mean, 159 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: it wasn't you know what. She was bedfast or something 160 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:43,839 Speaker 1: like that. But we carried her to the hospital down 161 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 1: here and they said, we'd think we'd better go ahead 162 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: and get you the little walk and which is where 163 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:50,839 Speaker 1: are bigger hospitals and all they got her. She went 164 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:57,960 Speaker 1: to St. Vincent's up there and she stayed all thirty 165 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: two days. I think for most of those thirty two 166 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:07,560 Speaker 1: days Beverly was on a ventilator. The family was quarantining 167 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:12,199 Speaker 1: at home. Greg and his son tested positive for COVID too, 168 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 1: Their daughter in law, Strangely, was completely fine. No one 169 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:20,960 Speaker 1: could go and see Beverly and she was too out 170 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: of it to even talk on the phone. Greg called 171 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:29,440 Speaker 1: the hospital every single day for an update. It was 172 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 1: the most difficult thing I've ever been through in my life. 173 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 1: And what a't evis fault that I couldn't go in 174 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:36,840 Speaker 1: and seeing her, But it just was, it was just 175 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:42,320 Speaker 1: it was torture not really knowing how bad she was. 176 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: And eventually the family decided to take her off of 177 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:53,080 Speaker 1: the ventilator. Beverly's lungs weren't really working, and then her 178 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: kidneys started feeling. She was in a medically induced coma, 179 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: and doctors told Greg they weren't sure that she would 180 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 1: ever wake up. Their family. Physician back and Warren pulled 181 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 1: some strings so that Greg and his son could see 182 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: her one last time. We had to put on space 183 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: suits and the whole thing, but they did let us 184 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:19,560 Speaker 1: go in there and literally see her before she passed away. 185 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 1: You know, I was still, I guess I was praying 186 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 1: for a miracle still that when they, you know, took 187 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 1: her off a ventilator, maybe she would start, you know, 188 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:33,679 Speaker 1: getting better or something. But it she did didn't, And 189 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: I don't know, I don't know how to explain it. 190 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:48,959 Speaker 1: On Saturday, a Beverly passed away at sixty three years old. 191 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: The Arkansas Times and the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported the 192 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: news of Beverly's death, touting the role she played and 193 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 1: helping young our Kanson see more of the world outside 194 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 1: of the state. Former students sent messages to the family 195 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:10,960 Speaker 1: about how she had touched their lives, and Bill Clinton, 196 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:13,959 Speaker 1: who knew the couple from the world of state politics, 197 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 1: called Greg with his condolences. Gregg told me that initially 198 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:25,560 Speaker 1: he blamed himself for letting the family take that trip, 199 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 1: but they couldn't have possibly known what would happen. None 200 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: of us did. It was so early in the pandemic, 201 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: back before anyone was wearing face masks or social distancing 202 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 1: or even calling it a pandemic. Beverly was only the 203 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 1: thirty six death in Arkansas at the time of her passing. 204 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: There's still weren't very many cases there at all, especially 205 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:57,119 Speaker 1: in the rural parts of the state and urban areas. 206 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: People spend a lot more time in crowds moving from 207 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: place to place in city to city, but in areas 208 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: like Bradley County people are just more isolated. But this 209 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:14,920 Speaker 1: tragedy would have a silver lining. The impact of Beverly's 210 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: death would be far greater than Greg could have ever imagined. 211 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: You know, people liked her, loved her, appreciated her, and 212 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 1: for her to die, uh and she just retired. I 213 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 1: think it really called the attention to a lot of people. 214 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 1: This is Dr Kerry Pennington. Like most people here, he 215 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: has lived in Bradley County almost his whole life. One 216 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 1: of his ancestors was actually a founding settler of the county, 217 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 1: and for decades now he's been just one of a 218 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: few physicians in the area. He told me, Beverly's death 219 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:07,400 Speaker 1: shook the whole county. Some people even blamed the rep 220 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 1: family for bringing the virus to this part of the 221 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: state and launched attacks at them online. But as the 222 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: story of Beverly's battle with COVID spread in Bradley County, 223 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: the main impact was that people started to take the 224 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 1: virus very seriously. They had heard about Beverly's month on 225 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: a ventilator and how hard it was on the Repe family. 226 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 1: This was someone a lot of people here knew and 227 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: cared about. Her story had an impact before the pandemic 228 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 1: could become so politicized. The people of Bradley County. We're 229 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: paying attention, you know, people will talk about it, and 230 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: people would come in shop. And then over the next 231 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 1: two or three months, as more people got it and 232 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: more people to add, it just became more a large 233 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:08,719 Speaker 1: awareness that this was serious. Most people know what's going 234 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:13,359 Speaker 1: to own and uh, it's not like Little Rock or 235 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 1: l A, where you know there may be sixty year 236 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:20,360 Speaker 1: seventy people die when that set of down the last week. 237 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 1: But he was talking about Dr Pennington is why I 238 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:27,400 Speaker 1: came to Arkansas in the first place. I had read 239 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: about Bradley County and called him up asking what was 240 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: going on there. He told me about Beverly and said 241 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,359 Speaker 1: that he thought her death was a major factor and 242 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 1: why people there were getting the shot. And then when 243 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:48,920 Speaker 1: the vaccine became available, they were aware and smart enough, 244 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,520 Speaker 1: I think, to realize that they need to do get it. 245 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:54,919 Speaker 1: But Beverly is really just the start of this story. 246 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: When I got to Arkansas, it became clear that Dr 247 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 1: Pennington was kind of selling his own role short. If 248 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,560 Speaker 1: you're trying to stop the spread of a deadly virus, 249 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 1: there are actually some advantages to being in a rural 250 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: community like Bradley County. Social distancing, of course, is sort 251 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:20,840 Speaker 1: of naturally built into your way of life, but more importantly, 252 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:26,440 Speaker 1: everyone knows each other. As we've talked about throughout this series, 253 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 1: trust is really a single most important factor in getting 254 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: people to vaccinate. Misinformation certainly doesn't help inspire people to 255 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:40,959 Speaker 1: get vaccinated, but it often isn't the root cause of 256 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:47,240 Speaker 1: someone's hesitancy. Distrust makes that misinformation seem way more believable. 257 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 1: The pandemic has made a whole lot of people more 258 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: mistrustful of what the public health establishment has to say. 259 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:57,440 Speaker 1: But if you went to high school with the local 260 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:01,640 Speaker 1: physician or the widower, but COVID victim was a chaperone 261 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 1: on your eighth grade trip to d C, we were 262 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 1: way more likely to believe them when they say vaccines 263 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: are good. When the pandemic hit, the public health community 264 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:18,760 Speaker 1: in Bradley County immediately understood how crucial the role that 265 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 1: they would play here was MC how's it going good? 266 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 1: Looking for more answers. I visited the local hospital. It's 267 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:51,639 Speaker 1: really small, it only has beds there. I talked to 268 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: Michelle Weaver, who we heard from earlier. She's the county 269 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:59,199 Speaker 1: public health officer and a doctor at the hospital, and 270 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 1: she says, everyone in the medical world and Bradley really 271 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:06,639 Speaker 1: joined forces as soon as we found out about COVID. 272 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 1: I mean, we knew that it was coming to the US, 273 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:12,679 Speaker 1: we knew it was happening. Um we myself and some 274 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: others we all got together and we made it like 275 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 1: a group. And so at first we met I hope 276 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 1: to get but before COVID hit here, we all actually 277 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:21,679 Speaker 1: all met one room. And after that first meeting decided 278 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,120 Speaker 1: that was a bad plan. I didn't think so many 279 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:25,920 Speaker 1: people from the community would show up. We kind of 280 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 1: invided everyone, but um, the superintendence of both of the 281 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:35,160 Speaker 1: schools in this county came, you know, the police officers came, 282 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,679 Speaker 1: the fireman came, the head of the hospital came. You know. 283 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 1: So you know, myself is representing the physicians in the 284 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:45,879 Speaker 1: area and UM, our mayor a big part of trying 285 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 1: to make sure we get accurate information. UM and we 286 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:52,400 Speaker 1: all met together in a room as a big group 287 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: to say we're going to come together as as one 288 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:58,040 Speaker 1: and support whatever we need to support to keep our 289 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:02,240 Speaker 1: county healthy. So that's kind of where it started. Dr 290 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:05,360 Speaker 1: Weaver said she and other doctors in the area were 291 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 1: constantly texting to make sure everyone was on the same 292 00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:13,480 Speaker 1: page about everything. They started a Facebook page to update 293 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 1: the community. She would even post videos with helpful tips, 294 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 1: like how to handle your teenager who was sick of 295 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:25,199 Speaker 1: staying home. They actually can be around their friends, but 296 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 1: they should not be in close proximity or in large groups. UM. 297 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:32,919 Speaker 1: If they want to have a friend and they go 298 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: and they keep their distance and they go fishing. UM. 299 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,200 Speaker 1: Those are kind of things. And when the vaccines rolled out, 300 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: there was a concerted push to get people vaccinated. When 301 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 1: I visited the hospital, Dr Weaver told me that just 302 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,399 Speaker 1: that morning she had tried to convince a nurse to 303 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:53,880 Speaker 1: get the vaccine for her teen son. She didn't know 304 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:57,199 Speaker 1: whether their talk had been successful, but she said her 305 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 1: approach is always rooted in empathy and patience, even though 306 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:07,440 Speaker 1: it's obviously really frustrating that even colleagues at the hospital 307 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:11,160 Speaker 1: were questioning vaccines. If you get angry with people, you're 308 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 1: going to get netwhere like if you go, oh, you're oh, 309 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,680 Speaker 1: you're a native and that doesn't work, you know. And 310 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 1: so I've had arguments, and I don't really call them 311 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: arguments discussions. I think that two logical adults should be 312 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,919 Speaker 1: able to sit down and have a discussion, and I 313 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,640 Speaker 1: should be able to say, you know, here's the facts 314 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:35,480 Speaker 1: about vaccine. Dr Pennington and his colleague Dr Joe Wharton 315 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 1: sent nurses to vaccinate the football team at the high 316 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 1: school and eventually also the entire eligible student body. The 317 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:49,359 Speaker 1: local state legislator, Jeff Wardlaw, invited Dr Pennington to talk 318 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:52,120 Speaker 1: to the staff at a center for disabled adults who 319 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:55,880 Speaker 1: are highly hesitant. Greg Reep and his family spoke out 320 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 1: in the press and the community urging people to get 321 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 1: the vaccine, and Tyler Staton, who runs a pharmacy in town, 322 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:09,160 Speaker 1: made it his personal mission to get everyone vaccinated. He says, 323 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:13,679 Speaker 1: at first the vaccines apply couldn't match the demand, but 324 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 1: when that initial demand waned, he started his own efforts 325 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:21,240 Speaker 1: to bring vaccines to the people. I've gone to the 326 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: nursing homes. UM. I've gone to home visits to help 327 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 1: people um that can't get out and can't get a 328 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:31,119 Speaker 1: ride to come and get a vaccine. We've gone to 329 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:38,640 Speaker 1: manufacturing plants. UM. We have a couple of hardwood flooring 330 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:43,280 Speaker 1: plants here in town. We have um uh one that 331 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:48,800 Speaker 1: create manufacturing timbers and stuff like that to their plant, 332 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: and it did vaccines that go on a monthly basis 333 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 1: to some of those places. Tyler says his governing philosophy 334 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 1: was to make sure that people had a few excuse 335 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:03,399 Speaker 1: says as possible to not get the vaccine. I mean 336 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:05,440 Speaker 1: some people may not get off until after we close, 337 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: it says, you know, and other stores, the big chains 338 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 1: may not have availability or they may not be able 339 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: to get their shot there. You know. It just I 340 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:17,720 Speaker 1: tried to be flexible because I wanted to help the community. 341 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 1: And and that's what we've done, and all of our 342 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:24,520 Speaker 1: pharmacists have done that to fless and be able to vascinate. 343 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 1: And it was a collaborative effort, nurses and pharmacists working together. Um, 344 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: the doctors were still running their clinics, but they'd send 345 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:36,120 Speaker 1: their their nurses to come help vaccinate, and pharmacists from 346 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:38,879 Speaker 1: from the local hospital she came with help me. So 347 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:41,280 Speaker 1: you know, it was a collaborative effort between all of 348 00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:46,159 Speaker 1: us to try and get people have vascinated. Okay, so 349 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:49,879 Speaker 1: I'm guessing you're starting to get the picture here. It 350 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: could almost be the plot of a feel good movie. 351 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 1: The death of a beloved small town teacher spurs the 352 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:01,639 Speaker 1: community to band together against the a to defeat the 353 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: evil virus. But how does that have anything to do 354 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 1: with the rest of us? So before I go any further, 355 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 1: let me first just say that Bradley County is not perfect. 356 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,240 Speaker 1: There are still a lot of hesitant people there and 357 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:25,919 Speaker 1: the latest surge of the virus has led to rising 358 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:30,920 Speaker 1: cases there like everywhere else in the state. But still 359 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:35,119 Speaker 1: today it is among the most vaccinated counties in Arkansas. 360 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 1: According to the CDC. So far, more than sixty seven 361 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:44,280 Speaker 1: of the population over age twelve has been vaccinated with 362 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 1: at least one shot, and its early success in vaccinating 363 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:53,160 Speaker 1: did buck the trend of similar regions across the country. 364 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 1: If you just looked at the demographics of Bradley, you 365 00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:01,159 Speaker 1: would expect the vaccination rate to be way lower. It 366 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:03,679 Speaker 1: turned out that there were a lot of reasons for 367 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: why it was doing better. It kind of did everything 368 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: you were supposed to do to convince people to get 369 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 1: a shot. I think this underscores the power that local 370 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: leaders at the community level can have in in convincing 371 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:23,719 Speaker 1: people to vaccinate. This is Matt Modem, a political scientist 372 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:28,280 Speaker 1: at Oklahoma State University. We also heard from him an 373 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 1: episode four. Now, the way you don't want that to 374 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 1: happen is by people getting sick and potentially dying and 375 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 1: having that be the motivator for people. But it does 376 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:43,639 Speaker 1: underscore that when there's a trusted member of the community 377 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 1: who lots of folks know, who lots of folks like, 378 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:50,879 Speaker 1: that really hits home for people. The very personal nature 379 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:56,040 Speaker 1: of this pandemic, these personal appeals talking about the risks 380 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:59,640 Speaker 1: that one face and and the the experiences they've had 381 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:04,640 Speaker 1: with the disease can be motivating. Uh. And so when 382 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: you have that happening at a local level to people 383 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:10,639 Speaker 1: that are widely known, to people that are widely trusted, 384 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:14,880 Speaker 1: you absolutely have the ability to to get people um 385 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 1: out and vaccinating in response. I know this probably seems 386 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: like common sense. Of course, it makes a difference to 387 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 1: have local figure heads out there supporting vaccination and talking 388 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:32,119 Speaker 1: to people on a personal level. But the thing is, 389 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:38,440 Speaker 1: this just isn't happening right now in most places. Too often, 390 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:43,280 Speaker 1: when people have concerns about vaccines, instead of being taken seriously, 391 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:48,280 Speaker 1: those concerns are just brushed aside. People are just expected 392 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:52,159 Speaker 1: to be logical and do the right thing, when in fact, 393 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:56,960 Speaker 1: if you stop to think about it, there is something totally, 394 00:27:57,080 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: just inherently weird about getting an injection with the genetic 395 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 1: material of a deadly virus. Too often, the approach is 396 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:13,160 Speaker 1: to find a war of feelings with facts. People wind 397 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:18,280 Speaker 1: up feeling ignored and disrespected, like no one cares about 398 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:21,960 Speaker 1: how they feel. This can send people on the fence 399 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:26,040 Speaker 1: about vaccines right into the arms of the anti vaxers 400 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 1: who are working hard to spread rumors and conspiracy theories. 401 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 1: A steady erosion of trust as guidance and policies have 402 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: flip flopped throughout the pandemic has exacerbated this, and in fact, 403 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:43,640 Speaker 1: some leaders have even stoked those concerns in recent months, 404 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:47,479 Speaker 1: like the governor of Missouri, who suggested in a tweet 405 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:51,000 Speaker 1: that went viral that President Biden's efforts to go door 406 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 1: to door to get people vaccinated we're not a welcome 407 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 1: in estate. Efforts to get local leaders out there, connecting 408 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:03,480 Speaker 1: with the commune city and promoting vaccination are just not 409 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:08,560 Speaker 1: that widespread. Here is where Bradley County offers its most 410 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 1: important lesson. Beverly Reap's death touched everyone there. She was beloved, 411 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:19,960 Speaker 1: but it was probably what the local leaders and the 412 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:24,240 Speaker 1: medical community did after her death that helped get those 413 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:28,960 Speaker 1: shots into arms the most. I think the power, especially 414 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:32,240 Speaker 1: at the local level, of these personal appeals, finding members 415 00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: of the community who are willing to share their stories 416 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:36,960 Speaker 1: and then and then going public with them. I think 417 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 1: that that's potentially a very effective way to do this. 418 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:45,840 Speaker 1: That is something every community can replicate. We know what 419 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 1: works here, and we just aren't doing it. Tim Callahan, 420 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:55,240 Speaker 1: a rule health expert at Texas. A and M says 421 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: that this has helped fuel an increase in anti vaccine 422 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:05,080 Speaker 1: content reas only we aren't necessarily seeing um widespread efforts 423 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: to have those trusted messengers developed. We aren't seeing concerted 424 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:12,040 Speaker 1: efforts to have those champions out in public, to identify 425 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 1: these champions, to fund the champions, give them the resources 426 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:18,200 Speaker 1: they need to promote vaccination, and simultaneously, over the past 427 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:21,719 Speaker 1: several months, we've seen growing anti vax ratoric as opposed 428 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:25,320 Speaker 1: to decreasing anti vax rehdor these lessons are really important 429 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 1: right now. The delta variant is scary and how contagious 430 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:31,960 Speaker 1: it is, and that may have moved a lot more 431 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:35,160 Speaker 1: people to go and get the job, but there are 432 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:38,400 Speaker 1: still a lot of holdouts, and those holdouts will keep 433 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 1: the virus circulating for the foreseeable future, leading to more 434 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 1: infections among both vaccinated and unvaccinated people alike, as well 435 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 1: as potentially new, even scarier variants of the virus. Bradley 436 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:57,600 Speaker 1: County was lucky and that all of this happened for 437 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: them before COVID became so political. People there were already 438 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 1: on board with efforts before anyone was protesting mask mandates 439 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:09,680 Speaker 1: or questioning Biden's plan to go door to door to 440 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:14,560 Speaker 1: get people vaccinated. More recently, a lot of those protesting 441 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:18,960 Speaker 1: voices have begun to change their message after months of 442 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:24,360 Speaker 1: promoting conspiracy theories and vaccine misinformation. Tucker Carlson encouraged people 443 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:29,040 Speaker 1: to get vaccinated, so did the governor of Missouri. In Arkansas, 444 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:32,880 Speaker 1: Governor Hutchinson has always encouraged people to get the vaccine, 445 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:35,840 Speaker 1: but he's been very careful to not sound like he's 446 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:40,760 Speaker 1: forcing it. His calls for action have become louder lately, 447 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 1: but Tim says, in many places, the damage has already 448 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:52,000 Speaker 1: been done. We've fallen behind in our efforts to reach people. 449 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 1: By following the lessons of places like Bradley County, we 450 00:31:56,240 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 1: can definitely get more shots into arms at this point, 451 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: though a radical change the way we approach vaccine messaging 452 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:10,480 Speaker 1: probably isn't enough. I think we need to recognize that 453 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:13,360 Speaker 1: a lot of the efforts that can be done from 454 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:16,360 Speaker 1: a promotion perspective, from an incentive perspective, have been done. 455 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:20,200 Speaker 1: Should promotion efforts continue, absolutely um And I think some 456 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:21,920 Speaker 1: of those promotion efforts that need to happen, they need 457 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 1: to be more targeted. They need to be targeted at 458 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:26,240 Speaker 1: the groups that are most likely to be vaccine hesitant. 459 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 1: Tim thinks that we might be at the point where 460 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:32,880 Speaker 1: mandates are necessary to get us to the level of 461 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 1: vaccination that we need. Unless there's something that's going to 462 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:39,360 Speaker 1: force individuals who are not going to be motivated by 463 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 1: promotion campaigns to vaccinate, we're going to have struggles to 464 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 1: get to that sort of seventy percent or higher threshold 465 00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:50,480 Speaker 1: in many states across the country. I asked him whether 466 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 1: he was feeling optimistic about any of this. He said, 467 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:56,600 Speaker 1: it's a mixed bag. And the one hand, you know, 468 00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 1: I'm I'm glad about the progress we've made so far. 469 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:01,800 Speaker 1: If you had told me that the start of the 470 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:05,959 Speaker 1: pandemic that by this point we would already have vaccinated 471 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:12,120 Speaker 1: over the population against the virus, that would have been incredible, right. However, 472 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:14,760 Speaker 1: you also have to realize at the same time just 473 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 1: how far we have to go and how much harder 474 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:20,280 Speaker 1: convincing the rest of the public to vaccinate is going 475 00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:23,160 Speaker 1: to be than it was to convince that first. We've 476 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:26,040 Speaker 1: in one sense, we've done the easy part. We've got 477 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:29,760 Speaker 1: everyone who is easily movable to vaccinate. Now, he faced 478 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:32,760 Speaker 1: the hard challenge of convincing the rest of individuals or 479 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:39,880 Speaker 1: forcing the rest of individuals to vaccinate. Back in Broadley County, 480 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:43,880 Speaker 1: there are still plenty of holdouts. Greg Reap told me 481 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 1: that he has been telling everyone who will listen to 482 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:54,360 Speaker 1: go and get their shot. Once the vaccination started being 483 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 1: made available, of course, we were urging everybody to get vaccinated, 484 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:02,880 Speaker 1: which just it just doesn't make any sense not to 485 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 1: you care about yourself and your family. And the months 486 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:10,399 Speaker 1: since Beverly passed, Greg's son and daughter in law got 487 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:14,200 Speaker 1: pregnant with their first child. Gregg told me he's really 488 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:17,520 Speaker 1: heartbroken that Beverly won't get to meet her first grandkid. 489 00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:21,759 Speaker 1: He really misses her. The past year and a half 490 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 1: has just been unbearably hard. You know. I just want 491 00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:30,759 Speaker 1: people to do everything they can do to protect themselves, 492 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:36,000 Speaker 1: and that starts with the vaccinations, and then they steal 493 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:39,719 Speaker 1: especially the things that as they are right Neil right now, 494 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:44,440 Speaker 1: need to you know, protect themselves. Where wear the mask? Ok, 495 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:50,560 Speaker 1: maybe it maybe I'll help you. But Greg says his 496 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:55,160 Speaker 1: one source of comfort is that just maybe Beverly's death 497 00:34:55,239 --> 00:35:01,080 Speaker 1: had an impact. Maybe their tragedy helped to protect other 498 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:40,840 Speaker 1: people helped them decide to get their shot. Doubt is 499 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 1: written and reported by me Kristin V. Brown. Magnus Hendrickson 500 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:50,839 Speaker 1: is our senior producer. Our theme was composed and performed 501 00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:55,719 Speaker 1: by Hannis Brown. Special thanks to Rick Shine, Tim Annette 502 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:59,520 Speaker 1: and Top for Foreheads. Francesca Levie is the head of 503 00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:03,560 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Podcasts. Be sure to subscribe to Prognosis if you 504 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:07,680 Speaker 1: haven't already, and if you like our show, please leave 505 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:11,080 Speaker 1: us a review. It helps others to find out about 506 00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:22,640 Speaker 1: the show. Thanks for listening. M