HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — When the vaccine first rolled out in Arkansas the problem was always the supply, the state just wasn't getting enough doses.
Now, we have the opposite problem: demand issues.
Vaccine hesitancy has been brought up by many health officials recently. Governor Asa Hutchinson even mentioned the demand is down in our state during Tuesday's press conference.
In Garland County, doctors like Gene Shelby are trying to solve this issue.
"It's been a concern that I've had, since really last summer," he said.
Skepticism towards the vaccine is something Dr. Shelby has had on his mind for months.
"There's so much misinformation about vaccines in general," he said.
As the Garland County Health Officer, Shelby saw first responders and educators in his community take awhile to say "yes" to the shot.
Now, with a whole new group eligible, Shelby's worries have only heightened.
"I think it's going to be more of a challenge now and we've gotten more vaccines available, so we really just have to have a really good push to get people to get vaccinated," he said.
That push includes more public service announcements throughout the county, but Shelby believes the key is one-on-one time.
"Even just peer pressure, I think, is an important part of it. People see other people getting vaccinated and see that there's not any big deal," he said.
These vaccine hesitancy concerns are proving themselves in numbers at pharmacies in the area.
At Smith Drug and Compounding, owner Lance Smith said they have multiple open appointments every single day.
"We were doing 12 to 1,500 vaccines at least a week, and now we're down to probably half that," he said.
Over the weekend the pharmacy hosting a mass clinic with only 25% of slots filled, according to Smith.
"1A and 1B when they opened, patients were very eager. 1C it's been a little bit of a smaller turnout, less people than we anticipated," he said.
Garland County health officials pleading for those eligible to step in line.
"We're all in this together and we need to step up and do our part," Shelby said.
Lance said his pharmacy is focusing on educating the people in his community. That means passing out flyers about the vaccine at businesses and promoting it on Facebook.
It's not just in Garland County though, it's a statewide issue. Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System recently released a campaign aimed at combatting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.