Dr. Mark Levine is confident that vaccination will stop Delta strains here | Local News

Reader: This is the first of two stories from an interview with Dr. Mark Levine, Vermont Health Commissioner, on Thursday. Look for episode 2 next week on efforts to reverse the recent increase in deaths from overdose in Vermont.

The COVID-19 pandemic may not be over, but in Vermont, the crisis of 2020 and early 2021 is over. Gatherings that were not possible a year ago are scheduled for summer and autumn. Health department employees are enjoying their long-awaited vacation. Masks are primarily optional.

But state health commissioner Dr. Mark Levine isn’t without it. Despite the vaccines to administer, the coronavirus variants to monitor, and the highest vaccination rates in the state, there are still injections to reach thousands of residents who have not yet opted in.

But Levine, whose profile as the state’s chief health official inevitably became prominent 15 months ago, is now a bit breathtaking. Other states in the country.

When it comes to the COVID pandemic, “we are in a good place,” Levine said. “We continue to increase vaccination rates in stages. Case rates are declining. There are few serious hospitalizations or deaths. There are at most several hospitalizations a day. The viral community. There is almost no infection and it is much more free for the inhabitants. “

For variants of the coronavirus caused by mutations, Levine is convinced that the state’s high vaccination rate will stop those strains in their footsteps.

“Currently, Vermont is almost free of viruses, even if the Delta stock reaches a dead end, because so many people are protected,” he said.

I’m still rolling up my sleeves

After crossing the 80% threshold on June 14, Governor Phil Scott began to revoke all state-mandated COVID restrictions in Vermont and were 12 years of age or older who had been vaccinated at least once. The increase in the number of eligible Vermont citizens has slowed.

However, the state does not set a “final” goal, but rather at every opportunity to stop or delay another wave in the event of a viral variant or seasonal increase. I will try to raise it.

“We want to get higher every day, one tenth every day,” says Levine. “We’re talking about the more resistant parts of the population,” he said-based on those who simply don’t make or prioritize time to get vaccinated, what they read on the internet. Those who have formed their opinions, and those who were previously opposed to vaccination and are unlikely to change their minds.

Apart from the state’s ongoing media campaign, Levine wants Vermonters to discuss vaccination with each other, seek information from doctors or practitioners, and roll up their sleeves.

“Some people are really resistant, but that number in Vermont is small,” Levine said. “More people are people who didn’t avoid it … we almost have to have [vaccine] In front of them. “

Vaccinations are available almost everywhere these days. “All pharmacies literally do business without waiting,” says Levine. “If you have a pharmacy in your town or next door, you can go there and get the vaccine.”

To that end, Levine wanted to address a recent series of letters to the Brattleboro Reformer editors on vaccination. A saying The US CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Event Response System reported that eight Vermonters died from COVID-19 vaccination. The letter was issued on June 16th. Levine said Thursday that nine deaths were reported there.

The· Vaccine adverse event response systemAccording to Levine, this is a passive early warning system that anyone can submit a report to. This is intentional and is intended to allow the CDC to quickly track down potential vaccine problems.

“Not all of this system is investigated or investigated in a timely manner,” says Levine.

“The deaths of these nine … The CDC hasn’t told us much except that they are visiting the website and are aware that an investigation is underway. “

“Neither of these deaths has a certified medical examiner to approve the vaccine as the cause of death,” Levine added. “In most cases, there is a death certificate that describes the viable reasons for death and does not mention vaccines.”

The CDC Vaccine Adverse Event Response System site warns that “reports may contain incomplete, inaccurate, accidental, and unconfirmed information.” Of problems related to vaccines. “

Reason for success

As of Friday, 81.4 percent of Vermonters had been vaccinated at least once, according to the Ministry of Health website. In Bennington (76.9) and Wyndham (74.1) counties, three out of every four people over the age of 12 receive at least one dose. In Chittenden County, the state’s most populous region, in Vermont, 83.6 percent of all targeted people have at least one shot.

What made Vermont so successful? It was a combination of factors from the work of state officials to Vermonter himself, Levine said.

Of the approximately 500 employees of the Ministry of Health, approximately 85-90% were assigned as part of the state’s pandemic response. From epidemiology and data analysis to clinical testing, contract tracking, and collaboration with daycare centers and schools.

“For some of them, that was 100 percent of their work. Some had to do what they were hired in the first place,” Levine said. “They straddle every part of that effort.”

In their vaccine and testing efforts, they said, “At our pop-up clinics doing their jobs at state-wide testing sites, as many as the front of the health department to meet people where they are. Provided personnel. “

Levine also addresses the causes of health equity, works with the state’s BIPOC population, works with partners and institutions that provide clinical support, and trusts people with historical reasons to distrust health care institutions. We are proud of the employees of the department we have built.

It has been proven that it is the older Black Barmonters over the age of 65 who build that trust, but “people have an unreasonable long memory and history for generations and people should not forget.” Said Levine. The department has made several intrusions.

“We rely heavily on community partners and organizations that defend our population and have worked with us for a long time … it creates more trust.”

Beyond that job, “we must agree that there is something different about the Vermonters,” Levine said.

Especially in New England, he said, there are other parts of the country doing as well as Vermont. However, regarding the residents of Vermont, he said: Otherwise, we would not consistently rank in the top states as the healthiest states. “

“If you’re starting with a population that prioritizes health, you’re already ahead of the game,” Levine said.

It was “cooperative and supportive,” and the willingness of the population to follow public health guidelines also made a difference, Levine said. “We care about ourselves, our families, each other, and our communities. If they aren’t our priorities, we won’t be able to reach as much as we did,” he said.

“By the time we were vaccinated, trust was already there. It wasn’t a leap of faith.”