SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. — Pinewood is a “small town with a big heart,” the mayor says, but getting the coronavirus vaccines hasn’t always been easy.
“At first we knew that folks were on the fence about taking the vaccine,” Mayor Jack Spann said, “and then once they, some agreed to take the vaccine, how do we get the vaccine to them?”
Like many rural communities, he said transportation and internet access are a challenge for some, along with limited healthcare options.
However, things have started to improve.
According to the mayor, access has improved for the Sumter County town with some S.C. Dept. of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) pop-up clinics happening, and Tandem Health, the town’s healthcare provider, offering the shots locally.
Outside of getting more locations, the biggest challenge now, the mayor said, is convincing more people to get the shot.
“Trying to convince them that what we need is complete herd immunity,” Mayor Spann said, “that everyone who’s able and capable of taking the vaccine… we would love for them to take the vaccine.”
A new hurdle, he said, for the town where everyone knows your name.