Local Vaccine Experts Speaks On Next Steps In Immunization

This coming Sunday marks two years since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Oklahoma and a local vaccine expert is talking next steps.

News 9’s Tevis Hillis sat down with the vaccine expert to talk about the next steps in immunization.

"I don't like to be told what to do, no one likes to be told what to do, and it's a matter of persuasion," said Dr. Douglas Drevets with OU Health.

The state's top medical officials continue to fight the uphill battle of persuading the public to get the COVID vaccine.

Right now, the state sits 56% fully vaccinated, with the state ranking 38th in the nation for vaccinations.

"A year ago, we were in the top 10 in the nation for getting vaccines into people's arms," said Dr. Drevets. "It was quite disheartening to see our numbers drop off within a matter of months."

It was a fight to see who could get the vaccine first with lines forming, but now the vaccine is just like going through the drive-thru, and no one has to create a whole day to wait their turn.

'It's not that the first two shots didn't work. It's to some degree a dose-finding experiment," said Dr. Drevets. 

Now the public is being told to go get a booster.

Vaccine creators are working on an omicron-specific booster shot, but on top of that, they are also working on a one-stop shot to combat all the variants that will be more like a yearly flu shot.