Midland Doctor Confirms That Vaccines Can End the COVID-19 Pandemic

Local doctors are now confirming that the way to end the COVID-19 pandemic is to get the vaccine.

According to the Midland Reporter-Telegram, Midland Health reported that the average age of patients hospitalized at Midland Memorial Hospital is getting younger and younger.

Dr. Bill Klingensmith is a pathologist at Midland Memorial Hospital and stated during a press conference on September 21, 2021 that the average age so far this month has been 44.

In August the average age was 48 according to Dr. Klingensmith.

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“I hear a lot of people still thinking that COVID is mainly a disease that threatens older people … it's much younger than even I would have thought,” said Dr. Klingensmith.

Even though the average age of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 have gotten younger, deaths from the virus could be more this month than last month.

Klingensmith said that the vaccine is the answer to ending the COVID-19 pandemic and reminded everyone that the eradication of diseases like smallpox, polio, and whooping cough show proof that vaccines work.

“Having people out there who don't want to get vaccinated does allow the virus opportunities to stick around and change,” said Dr. Klingensmith. “As long as there's COVID out there it can change and then basically the therapies like Regeneron don't work as well anymore, vaccines don't work as well anymore, and we're always playing catch up.”

The current number of those who have been vaccinated in Midland County is at 45% which is 63,488 residents, according to Texas Health and Human Services.

Klingensmith also revealed that of those who have been vaccinated, there is no data that any of them have been hospitalized for a reaction to the vaccine.