Submitted Photo County Legislator Paul Whitford speaks into a microphone during the recent Health and Human Services Committee meeting to share his experience getting COVID-19 before and after being vaccinated.

A Chautauqua County elected official who was infected twice with COVID-19 shared his experience of what it was like to get the virus without the vaccine and then again after being vaccinated.

Legislator Paul Whitford, D-Jamestown, is a member of the legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee meeting. The committee discussed the rise of COVID-19 in the county and the reluctance of some people to get vaccinated during its recent meeting.

“The first time I had COVID, I would rank it as a 10. I was in bed for six days. I lost 20 pounds. I ate like a quarter of a cup of applesauce in six days. I drank a lot of Pedialyte water. I got vaccinated with Pfizer. I got COVID again and that experience, I rate it as a 2. Now I have the booster,” he said.

Whitford recognizes that the vaccine doesn’t prevent COVID completely, but it does make the symptoms much more mild.

“Get the vaccine. It’s lifesaving. I can’t say enough about not having been vaccinated and being vaccinated because I experienced both,” he said.

Whitford also highlighted how the vaccine helps others. “You’re protecting your neighbors and your friends,” he said.

Christine Schuyler, public health director and commissioner of social services, thanked the county lawmaker for sharing his story.

She noted that for those who have received COVID, they do have some level of acquired immunity, but it’s not as effective as the vaccine. “We do recommend that someone who has a COVID infection waits a few months and then gets vaccinated to boost up that immunity,” she said.

Schuyler admitted things are getting worse instead of better. “You talk to any emergency room physician and they’re going to tell you that the people who are getting sick with COVID now are younger and the ones who are going on ventilators are younger. Where it was people in their 50s and 60s, now they’re in their 20s and 30s,” she said.

Committee Chairman Dan Pavlock asked Schuyler how many local children ages 5-11 have been vaccinated. Schuyler said the Centers for Disease Control is tracking that data and will be sharing it with the county. She didn’t have exact numbers but noted that it was low.

“I think some of that is reflective of the opinion of the parents as well as the availability,” she said.

Schuyler said the county doesn’t have the resources or the staff available to offer the vaccine in public schools. She instead recommends parents contact either their pediatrician or a local pharmacy.

“I’m hoping parents aren’t holding out thinking the vaccine is going to just be given out at school because there’s just not the capacity to do that. There’s 36 buildings we would have to get to,” she said.

Pavlock agreed that there is a lot of hesitancy in the community regarding the vaccine. “We could just be patient and pray that people will go and get the vaccine if they so choose and also see some sensibility around the matter,” he said.