LEXINGTON, Ky. —  Some health officials in Lexington are noticing that many Kentuckians are hesitant about getting the vaccine, often due to politics, creating an increase in available appointments in Fayette County.

“The previous president was vaccinated and the current president has been vaccinated. What more do you need to know, that both sides and both presidents of both parties are getting the shot, it shows that this is something that affects everyone,” Kevin Hall with the Lexington Fayette County Health Department said.

Hall said the COVID-19 vaccine is not political, and people should not use politics as a reason to not get the vaccine. 

“Unfortunately throughout this pandemic, parts of it have been politics. COVID-19 doesn't care who you voted for, it doesn't care if you voted, it affects everyone," Hall said. "What we've seen in the previous presidential administration, that this started, the current administration's continuing this rollout and getting more vaccines in the communities."

Hall said the health department typically hosts a vaccination clinic each week, and every week it is taking longer to fill those appointments. Hall said it may be due to an increase of available locations, or even some hesitation with the science behind the shot.

Brian Arnett, a Lexington resident, said he strongly believes everyone should be vaccinated.

“If I were giving people advice. Two things I would say one: is it's just the vaccine. It's not the end of the world, and two would be this is, this was a bad form of a bad pandemic, but it could be worse. And I think as a test for our nation's ability to react to a public health emergency. We failed miserably,” Arnett said.

Arnett has heard many people using politics and presidential decisions as reasons to not get the vaccine, and hopes people will start to listen to leadership and experts. 

“I don't think it's safe to blame any single president for a pandemic, but rather it's how it's managed and handled and I'm not sure any president could have afforded hundreds of 1000's of deaths. But admitting that we have problems and that is serious, and people should listen to our nation's experts, I think is fundamental for leadership," Arnett said.

The Lexington Fayette county Health Department will be hosting their weekly vaccination clinic on Wednesday, March 24th. For more information, you can visit the LFCHD website.