Deputy County Administrator Jim Taylor told the Board of Supervisors on May 12 that 92,235 doses of COVID-19 vaccination have been given to Hanover residents and that about half of our population now has received at least one dose, which makes Hanover second in the Richmond region on a per capita basis. About 44,500 Hanover residents have been fully vaccinated, Taylor said.

“You probably remember when we were working through the various phases, and it seemed like it was taking so long to work through (groups) 1a and 1b,” Taylor said. “The good news is that the vaccine is available to anyone 16 and older, and maybe 12 and older here later today.”

Taylor said the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. continues to decline, but noted, “there are still a lot of cases out there.”

“It is estimated that we need another 30 million to 40 million Americans to get the vaccine to beat this thing,” he told the Board. “I think in Hanover County we could use another 10,000 to 15,000 people.”

“Now is the time,” he urged the public. “We have all 3 vaccines and you can just walk in.  If you’ve been waiting for ‘your turn’, now is the time.”

With the demand apparently diminishing, Taylor expects May to be the last month at which the Hanover Vaccination clinic on Junction Drive in Ashland vaccination clinic will be open for first doses. First-dose clinics with the Moderna vaccine are currently scheduled for May 14, 17, 19, 21, 24 and 28.

The County hopes that 75% of residents will choose to be vaccinated. In addition to the opportunities provided at the vaccination center, many people are now receiving shots at their medical provider’s office and in other health care facilities.