Many citizens in Rowan County have stayed in line for hours to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. These were conscientious people who wanted to fight the COVID virus so it wouldn’t spread. They took time from their busy days to do the right thing. They got the shot.

Now the vaccine is more available. There’s no more waiting in line, the pain of the shot is minimal and data show this to be a safe and effective vaccine. Yet there are a large number of people, particularly in our county, who are not getting the shot.

A recent report states that only 28% of Rowan County residents have gotten the vaccine …

“The vulnerability of Rowan is very high. This county is more likely to experience severe physical and economic suffering from COVID-19 and to face harder and longer recovery than most.”

This is frightening.

The record also shows that people in Rowan are still getting the virus and some are dying.

Please, everyone! The answer for Rowan is so obvious. Suffer your insecurities and rethink your patriotic duty. Get the shots for the survival of our small area of North Carolina.

Keep us from being called a “danger zone.”Do we want to go the terribly tragic route of India? Nobody wants a resurgence of this virus, particularly in the fall with the holidays coming up.

The vaccine is now easily available for anybody — drug stores, doctors offices, etc.

Some might ask why? I say, “Why not?”

— Dotty Clement

Salisbury