BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Erie County on Wednesday hosted its first of several weekly vaccine clinics outside of Highmark Stadium in an effort to get more doses into the arms of people who are hesitant to get their shots.
Multiple people we spoke with outside the stadium said they got their COVID-19 vaccine because of last week's mandate by Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and the Buffalo Bills requiring a vaccine to attend future Bills home games. The mandate only applies to those eligible to get a shot.
"It's the only reason," Tom Fuhrmann, a West Seneca man who was critical of the mandate, said. "I'm not afraid of catching COVID and if I do, I'm in good health and I'm not worried about it."
Fans will not allowed into the stadium without proof of vaccination. Fans will be required to be fully vaccinated by October 31 to enter any event at the stadium or KeyBank Center.
"I don't think it's fair at all," one woman at the clinic, who declined to give us her name, said. "I have a few friends who are very upset that are not going to get it and were season ticket holders for a long time and are very upset. I respect the people that want to get it and I respect the people that don't."
She expressed her reservations of getting the vaccine due to fertility issues. The CDC says there's no evidence that ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccine will cause issues with pregnancy. The woman said her doctor told her to research.
"It's not just a football game," she said about criticisms of people putting their desire to watch a football game over personal health. "It is something my husband and I enjoy a lot together. We travel to multiple away games. That's what makes me want to do it. It's not just the game. That's what makes me want to do it. It's not just the game, it's what comes along with the game."
Erie County will host the vaccine clinic for the next several Wednesdays from noon to 6 p.m.
A spokeswoman for the Erie County Department of Health said there were fewer than a dozen people registered for Wednesday's clinic at the stadium, though that will not account for walk-ins. So far this week, Erie County has administered 125 vaccines at county-run clinics. This figure does not include those who were vaccinated at a pharmacy, hospital, or elsewhere.
