Vaccine hesitancy and refusal among Virginia residents will make it difficult to achieve the 75 percent vaccination rate among the population that is considered necessary for herd immunity against COVID-19, according to Dr. Richard Williams, medical director of the Three Rivers Health District.

In his weekly update, Williams said that although the district has the capacity to vaccinate up to 5,000 people each week against the virus, it is only administering about 1,500 doses of vaccine at present.

“There are many reasons people are hesitant to receive a COVID-19 vaccine,” said Williams in the release.

While some are distrustful of the government, he said, others fear they might suffer adverse effects from the vaccine.

Some don’t think the COVID-19 virus is a significant threat, and some think vaccination is a violation of their “individual freedoms and rights,” he continued.

Williams again urged people to try to understand that COVID-19 is highly contagious and still ca...