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State seeing rise in COVID cases since the beginning of year

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by Lacey Alexander • Published on • Comments
This Sept. 21, 2021 file photo shows vials of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines in Jackson, Miss. Billions more in profits are at stake for some vaccine makers as the U.S. moves toward dispensing COVID-19 booster shots to shore up Americans' protection against the virus.
AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis
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Cases in Mississippi have gone up nearly 50% in the past two weeks according to the "We Can Do This" public education campaign.

Lacey Alexander

State seeing rise in COVID cases since the beginning of year

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Healthcare officials say that cold weather and holiday gatherings likely contributed to the surge. The state is also the third-worst in the nation for vaccination rates.

Dr. Bhagyashri Navalkele is an Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She says multiple factors, like an alarming number of uninsured people and a lack of access to care, are partly responsible for the state's low vaccination rate.

"There's still a lot of personal beliefs," she said. "Misinformation, and denial... all of these things have contributed to low vaccination numbers in our state."

Healthcare professionals believe the relaxing of certain guidelines and mandates is contributing to the spike in cases. Navalkele says she understands that people may be tired of hearing about distancing, masking, and vaccines, but these practices are urged so often because they work.

"I know it can get really tiresome," she said. "But if we can continue to follow the same protection measures as we have the last few years... we can protect ourselves and our loved ones better."

Vaccines are available to anyone six months of age and older.