50% of the population of St. Joseph County, Indiana is fully vaccinated, as of yesterday. That makes it the first county in Indiana to reach that milestone.

That 50% is for the total population, regardless of eligibility..

We spoke to St. Joseph County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Mark Fox about what that means.

He said there are various reasons why people are getting vaccinated, especially now.

"There’s a small group of people that are committed, 'I am never getting vaccinated.' Whether it’s any vaccine or specifically to COVID," said Dr. Fox.

With recent events, there are still people going to get their shots, like today at a clinic at REAL Services.

"As they’ve seen an increase in cases from Delta variant, a lot of them are now like, 'okay, I will take it seriously and go get protected.'"

That 50% of the population vaccinated right now in St Joseph County is of the total population, including those not eligible for the vaccine.

"The whole population is at risk of getting COVID. That’s why we focused on the percentage of the entire population who’s vaccinated."

Early projections showed that 70% of the population would be vaccinated by the Fourth of July. Now, Dr. Fox is hopeful to reach that number as soon as possible.

Taylor Gattoni: "What would that 70% entail regarding mandates?

Dr. Mark Fox: "That’s a good question. I think as far as federal workers, I think mandates will still be in place irrespective of what proportion of the population is vaccinated. It might decrease some of the surveillance testing requirements."

While there is still a ways to go, people have more reasons now to get the vaccine, like the spike in the Delta variant.

"Certainly the Biden administration push last week in saying that they’re going to have these vaccine mandates for employers over 100 people and for federal workers-- I think that’s another thing that has motivated people to go ahead and take action now and get the vaccine."

For parents like Kristi Lash, it's to protect her daughter.

"Especially my daughter is in middle school. They’re opening back up the schools, I didn’t want her to be a victim because I have family members and friends who have been affected by it," said Lash.

She's thankful places like REAL Services is providing the vaccine locally.

"Our goal is to help get our community vaccinated so that we can all be safe," said LaTonia Newhouse.

Again, doctors know that 100% vaccination is unlikely. They're hopeful the vaccination rate can reach 70%.

If you want to get your vaccine, check availability at your local clinics and doctors.