Michelle Sakala initially planned to hold off on getting the vaccine that protects against COVID-19.
She is a nurse with FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital and was eligible to receive it. But she was also breastfeeding her infant daughter, Monroe (think “Monroe” the president, not Marilyn, says Sakala, whose older daughter is named Kennedy.)
“I initially said no to the vaccine when it was first offered to me,” says Sakala, who is 35 and married to an Army major. “Just because it wasn’t advised for women, or the hospital said, ‘We don’t advise you receiving the vaccine if you’re breastfeeding.’
Cape Fear Valley Health has vaccinated nearly 1,200 people over the course of two days. Now, health officials with the hospital are crediting ABC11 with boosting those numbers.
3% Hispanic
A trend also reflected in Cumberland County:
59% White
3% Hispanic
5% Asian or Pacific Islander
The new data revealing a disparity in who s getting the vaccine across the state. ABC11 spoke to Doctor Jennifer Green, the Health Director for the Cumberland County Department of Public Health, to hear her thoughts on the numbers. African Americans make up about 37 to 39 percent of our community. Hispanic members and Latin-X members of our community make up about 12 or 11 percent of our community. So, again, we d like to see those percentages jump just a little bit, Green said.
The disparity extends beyond race with the state total and Cumberland County both showing a more than 20 percent gap when the numbers are broken down by gender with more women receiving the first dose.
The Fayetteville Observer
More than 21,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Cumberland County, but trends related to the disease are going down.
The county Health Department reported that 15 county residents died from COVID-19 during the last week of January, according to a statement released by county officials. The state Department of Health and Human Services said a total of 225 deaths in the county were related to the disease.
The state DHHS website says 21,278 cases have been reported in Cumberland County. The county remains in the state’s Red Tier of the disease, which means it has a critical amount of community spread.
The Fayetteville Observer
Inside the home of Master Sgt. Ignacio Jimenez, David Poole, Danny Delgado and Wesley Branch are the photos of Margaret “Clair” Clark riding a bicycle.
The roommates didn’t know Clark, who died in 2012, but the space is dedicated in her memory by her brother, Dr. Franklin Clark.
It is part of the Fayetteville Friendship House community, which is approaching its second year and pairs students or young professionals with special needs adults like Clair Clark.
And in December, Dr. Clark made another contribution $20,000 per year during the next three years to help subsidize the $450 monthly rent of young professionals or college students in healthcare, allied healthcare or human services fields who are willing to be housemates, mentors and friends of adults with special needs.