The San Diego LGBT Community Center hosted a vaccine clinic Sunday in Hillcrest. The center was offering $50 gift cards as an incentive to get people to roll up their sleeves, but many people had different motivations to get vaccinated.
“I need to get a shot for my work and in order for me to be employed they’re requiring a vaccination shot,” said Catharine Romero, a San Diego resident.
Romero says she had an opportunity to get vaccinated before, but she passed it up.
“The vaccine, it was made too fast. I don’t know it was way too fast,” said Romero about her hesitation.
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After talking to people who have been inoculated, Romero now feels more comfortable. She decided to take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Romero says she would recommend the vaccine to others.
“Oh, yeah. If they want to get employed haha,” Romero said.
Other people who were hesitant shared similar concerns about the speed of the vaccine rollout.
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“I’ve been hesitant all along, so my partner encouraged me. He’s the one who was, 'You have to get it.' So I said OK,” said Michael Reinhart, a San Diego resident.
While some people needed encouragement from loved ones, there was also concern about new COVID-19 variants and the recent surge in coronavirus infections.
“There’s a delta (variant) going around. The COVID-19 coming back. I’m going home to visit some family so I felt it was my time,” said Katie, a Hillcrest resident.
“I take my supplements every day and I hardly ever feel sick, so I didn’t think I needed it, but the second strain, I don’t know it kinda worried me,” said Catherine Dufresne a San Diego resident.
Everyone's motivation was different, but many people said they would have trouble convincing others to get the shot as well.
A total of 147,386 people in San Diego County were past due on their second coronavirus vaccine dose as of July 17. As of July 25, 69.2% of San Diego County residents are fully vaccinated.
