RALEIGH, N.C. — As hospitalizations continue to rise because of the spread of a newer COVID-19 variant, one pharmacist wants people to realize how important vaccines are against the coronavirus.
What you need to know
Dr. Faith Clark is a Raleigh Walmart pharmacist spreading the message about the importance of COVID-19 vaccines
Clark's mother died of the virus last year before shots were available
Data from the N.C. DHHS shows only 43% of N.C is fully vaccinated
Dr. Faith Clark is a pharmacist for Walmart, who works in the Raleigh area. She doesn’t take the virus lightly and warns people it is not a hoax.
“That's the biggest thing. People think that it’s not real, but it’s real,” she said.
The doctor said her mother, Mary Jones, died alone at Henrico Doctors Hospital in Richmond, Virginia last November. She uses this real-life example with patients picking up prescriptions when they ask if vaccinations are really worth it.
“I tell them what actually happened and what I saw. I was allowed to be in her room for a short amount of time, and I witnessed the difficulty she was having breathing. That’s something you will never forget,” Clark said.
Clark said she was only allowed to be in the same hospital room with her mother for five minutes when she said her goodbyes. Some people don’t even get that.
She said her mom was 78 years old when she died. Her mother never had the chance to receive a shot because FDA emergency authorization wasn’t granted to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines until December.
“I tell them, ‘You should want to live.’ This vaccine is almost 100% safe and effective against the COVID-19 virus."
She explains to people all the good becoming vaccinated can do for the human body.
“We have to trust the process and trust our medical experts," said Clark.
Statistics from the CDC show a pep talk from Clark could be needed. According to a state profile report released by the federal agency on July 2, North Carolina ranks 36 in the country for the percentage of a state’s population for fully vaccinated people.
Clark works hard to keep her message clear and simple.
“I try to encourage them that the best vaccine for you is the one available to you right now,” said the pharmacist.
Her goal is protecting herself, coworkers, customers, family and strangers from dying of the virus like her mother did. She recalled a time when her continued efforts paid off.
“After I gave a guy a vaccine, he came up to me and he said, ‘I just want to thank you for saving my life because literally the vaccine can save a life.’ So we have to trust it,” she said.
Clarks also wants anyone who is hesitant to think about their children. Clark has an 8-year-old son who currently is not eligible for a vaccination because the FDA hasn’t opened it up to anyone under the age of 12. The drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna plan to make their vaccines available to children by early fall.