US vaccination drive is bottoming out as omicron subsides

By JAY REEVES and MIKE STOBBE
Associated Press

HAMILTON, Ala. (AP) — The vaccination drive against COVID-19 in the U.S. is grinding to a halt, and lagging demand is especially stark in conservative corners of the country where many people weren’t interested in the shots in the first place. In Alabama’s Marion County, just 14 people showed up at the Health Department for their initial shot during the first six weeks of the year. Government and employer vaccine mandates have faced court challenges and may have gone as far as they ever will. And with COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths subsiding across the U.S., people who are against getting vaccinated don’t see much reason to change their minds.