If demand continues to slump, Park County Public Health may stop holding large-scale  COVID-19 vaccination clinics and switch to once-a-week sessions at its Powell and Cody offices.

“It would appear that with the reduced response to the larger clinics this may be the way we go in the near future,”  Public Health Nurse Manager Bill Crampton said Tuesday.

According to his records, a total of 8,271 people had been fully vaccinated in Park County as of Tuesday, which amounts to roughly one out of every three adults.

Crampton’s thoughts about shelving the large-scale clinics followed a Saturday event in Cody that drew only 157 people and a couple dozen no-shows, despite 600 doses being available. Sign-ups were looking similarly slow for a clinic set to be held at the Cody Auditorium today (Thursday), prompting Crampton to shorten the hours to 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“We have a number of volunteers who have very generously given us their personal time to assist with the vaccination process. I can’t justify having them stand around waiting for long periods of time in the hope people who have signed up will keep their appointment,” he said.

Residents are not limited to public health, as many other local health providers and pharmacies are offering doses.

“There is an abundance of vaccine available to us in the county at this time,” Crampton said.

Across the state, more than 137,875 people had been fully vaccinated as of Tuesday, according to Wyoming Department of Health data.

Between politicalization of the vaccines, case numbers and hospitalizations remaining low and businesses and schools remaining open, “it is hard for some people to see the personal need to get that vaccine,” department spokeswoman Kim Deti said, “so we do have some concerns on the uptake overall.”

“We do hope that somewhat over time people will see it [vaccination] more as a normalized thing, that some of those fears will be reduced,” Deti said, adding that, “We think it’s normal for people to have questions.”

She said the department plans to continue adding information on its website about the safety of the vaccines and is launching an advertising campaign.

In working to keep people from getting sick, landing in the hospital or dying from the novel coronavirus, “we really think it’s the most effective tool we have,” Deti said.

Across Wyoming, there were 326 active and confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, with nine in Park County (down from 15 a week earlier). Wyoming hospitals reported caring for 19 COVID patients on Wednesday, with no such patients in Park County.

Most people infected with the novel coronavirus suffer mild to moderate symptoms, but it can cause serious illness, particularly among the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.