Do we really want VA to beat SC’s COVID vaccination rate? I don’t think so.

Have you met Vira, the Vaccine Chatbot?

Well, you’d probably know it if you had. Vira, described by the team at Johns Hopkins University of Medicine as an animated ball with two eyes and two teeth (something you’re unlikely to forget) is the face of the university’s new website devoted to answering any and all COVID-19 vaccine questions.

The online artificial intelligence tool with a wide smile is designed to answer common questions about vaccines in hopes of increasing the number of Americans who are fully vaccinated.

It is the latest effort to battle vaccine hesitancy, a problem South Carolina and many other states are facing.

The latest figures from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) show that just 42.9 percent of the Palmetto’s State’s residents are fully vaccinated.

For comparison, our neighbors in North Carolina are at 43 percent, while Georgia is at 38 percent. While not far from us, Virginia is at 51 percent.

There are “a lot of folks who just don’t think they need it,” said DHEC Director Dr. Edward Simmer in an interview with The State.

Simmer said convincing young people, particularly those ages 20 to 26, to get the vaccine was especially challenging, but it’s not the only problem.

“Some of the urgency is gone,” Simmer said, noting that residents are anxious to get back to life as they knew it.

There also remains a lot of vaccine hesitancy, misinformation and pandemic fatigue. That’s compounded, he said, by some suspicion of government programs or being told what to do from those who identify as politically conservative.

All of those factors mean South Carolina cannot ease up on its efforts to promote the vaccination, whether that’s through marketing campaigns or working with community groups.

The Shot with a Chaser campaign, for instance, with its promise of free drinks is ongoing.

While South Carolina hasn’t joined other states in giving out million dollar lottery sums, Simmer said its programs have seen some success. Other efforts include holding vaccination clinics at fairs and festivals.

“We’re trying to put the vaccine where people are,” Simmer said.

To that end, a new plan to send mobile vaccine clinics to the state’s most rural and remote areas is underway and expected to launch at the end of July.

“We still have access challenges, too,” Simmer said, explaining the mobile clinics hoped to reach “every corner of the state.”

But you don’t have to wait for the mobile clinic to come to your neighborhood.

“We’re not out of the woods yet. The delta variant is scary,” Simmer said, noting that the risk of infection is highest among the unvaccinated.

Whatever your reasons for not getting vaccinated, consider the words of Dr. Simmer or have a chat with Vira, the Vaccine Chatbot to get answers to your questions.

And, whatever you do, stay safe!