- [Narrator] Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, a proud supporter of WQPT has been serving Quad City families since 1889.

Now providing live stream capabilities for viewing your loved one's funeral or Memorial service at their chapel in Rock Island.

- Questioning the vaccines and the tough job ahead for vaccination teams, and one man's diagnosis of Parkinson's disease how he's facing it head on in the cities.

(upbeat music) Everyone facing a life changing medical diagnosis deals with it in their own way.

We talk with a man who says Parkinson's disease has given him a new mission in life, but first, another medical mission.

We're now told there's plenty of COVID-19 vaccines available despite extra caution being used with a one dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, tens of millions of people have gotten the Moderna, the Pfizer or the J&J shots, even so tens of millions of other people still need to be vaccinated and some of them have little intention of getting the shot.

I talked with Scott County Health Department Clinical Services Manager, Roma Taylor about this latest phase in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can understand that is that people are hearing all this information day in and day out, and that they're just tired of it all and just don't wanna have anything to do with COVID or the vaccine.

- That is very understandable, but we just need people to just hang on a little longer.

Now that we have the vaccine in the community and there are multiple sites where people can get vaccines we just need people to get out there and get their vaccine so that we can try to get our lives back to some normality.

- Is that the case now, though?

'Cause if you think of the first of the year, you had lines, you had people trying to beat down the doors to get a vaccine, and now you're asking people to come in, have we reached that point where, all right, these are the people that really wanted the shot now we got to coax everyone else to do it?

- In the beginning, we did not have enough vaccine that we were receiving into the state, and so we really had to limit who that vaccine was going to.

We had to focus on our highest risk population, our elderly and those with health conditions.

Now that they've ramped up the production of the vaccine and that we have three different vaccines on the market, we're able to provide vaccine to anyone that wants it.

There is a vaccine available through many of our health agencies.

- What is the pause as they're calling it of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine gonna have as far as an impact is concerned, because let's be honest, the majority of the shots you've been giving out are Pfizer and Moderna.

- So the difference between the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the Pfizer and Moderna are the two dose series.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a one dose series.

So for individuals that don't like to get shots, of course they were hoping to hold out for the one shot and done, but we have a lot of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine in our community.

Anybody that wants to get the two dose series can get it.

- Well, and Dr. Katz was pretty much saying that he believes the Johnson & Johnson pause, once again I'm using that word, the temporary suspension so to speak of using the J&J vaccine will be very short-lived.

We're only talking about six, I don't wanna diminish the six cases, but we're talking about six cases out of 7 million shots given.

- Right, and I also asked people to think about individuals that are diagnosed with COVID disease, they also develop blood clots, and we know that there are more and more people diagnosed with the disease than have received the vaccine.

- The six people that are reported to have gotten the blood clots are all women.

Is this something that you would suggest that women not get the J&J shot that they should get the Pfizer and the Moderna shot just to be extra cautious?

- So right now, because we don't want people waiting to see what's going to happen with the J&J vaccine I'm going to recommend that all women, all men go ahead, make an appointment to get the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine.

Then we'll wait and see what the experts say next week.

- As you said, the priority was the elderly, those people that were living in enclosed structures such as long-term facilities.

Then you went out to the teachers and other people.

That was your first big two waves of getting the vaccine.

What have you seen now?

Do you see a number of cases still in long-term facilities, or do you notice that schools have been able to have a very successful school year without major breakouts of COVID-19?

- Because we've been able to get our healthcare workers vaccinated, our long-term care residents and their staff vaccinated, we are seeing less and less cases in those areas.

The schools, we are actually not seeing cases in the teachers, we're seeing cases in the students that can't be vaccinated.

- That's because so many of the teachers received the vaccination.

Is that the way that you're seeing it right now?

That's what you're thinking is what happened?

- Right, because our teachers, they went to the clinics they got their vaccine, but we don't have a vaccine for the young children under 16.

- Health officials right now are concerned that the number of COVID cases, particularly hospitalizations of those 30 years old and younger is really growing quickly.

Is that another case that perhaps they've got the COVID fatigue, they're not being careful and they also haven't gotten the vaccination?

- Right, we know that younger individuals they're getting tired and we understand that, but it's important that they continue to take those precautions and get their vaccines so that we can prevent cases in that age group.

It's important that they remember that if they're not getting vaccinated then they're able to spread this to our younger children but also to those people with high risk chronic diseases that have not been vaccinated yet.

Those are the people that are gonna get very, very ill. - When we look at the numbers right now and I know that you guys are looking at the numbers daily on how many people have COVID, who's getting the COVID, and how it compares to before.

Dr. Katz is saying we're pretty much in a fourth wave that started about a month ago, and we've seen real big spikes.

You think of the November spikes that was very scary.

Are you worried that as we go into spring that this fourth wave could get worse than what we're seeing right now?

- I am worried because of, as the weather gets nice people are out and about more and they're not taking the precautions of wearing their mask and social distancing.

For those individuals that are not vaccinated that puts them at a higher risk and anyone that they're around at a higher risk.

- So what is your suggestion right now?

I mean obviously the continuation of masking up, the continuation of washing your hands and keeping social distancing, but also getting that shot right away, but that shot isn't necessarily a panacea.

It's not gonna solve every problem.

- No, it's not gonna solve every problem, but it is going to help us to get closer to herd immunity in our community.

So the more people that get vaccinated, the more people that are protected, we do ask the individuals to continue to wear their mask, continue to social distance when they can't be outside in open air and also to wash hands and do those things that keep them protected and safe.

- When you're looking at trying to get more people vaccinated, you're dealing with people who are anti-vaxers and you're also dealing with people in minority communities that have a history of being wary let's say, of vaccinations, as well as public health.

What are you saying for this next phase to those people to get those shots when they're really hesitant to do that?

- I tell people to do your research, go to those reputable sites that have information like CDC, ask the questions, read the information.

This vaccine is safe.

We've had millions of people that have been vaccinated.

We know that these are safe vaccines.

It's important for us if we wanna get back to some normality that everyone gets vaccinated, but do your research.

- Nita Ludwig with Rock Island County Health Department said, and I'll quote here, "We know you're tired of the pandemic, and we are too."

Tell me about the situation for public health.

This is something that you've been dealing with nonstop for 13, 14 months right now.

When we're talking about the citizens being tired of COVID, you would think the clinical staff is as well.

- Some days yes, we do get tired, but we have to look at the big picture.

We have to remember that we just have to stay the course and keep sharing the information with people, keep encouraging them to get vaccinated, to wear their mask, to social distance, to wash hands.

We can come through this if we all work together.

We can get through this.

- You yourself have been at this for 40 years in public health.

You're retiring in May.

First off, Congratulations.

You hung on for an extra year 'cause you were going to retire last year because of COVID-19.

This is like a career building moment that comes at the end of your career.

Are you just surprised at how this pandemic actually became as bad if not much worse than some people thought it would be?

- Yes, I am.

In the beginning, I thought I was gonna leave in June.

I thought I'll stay to the end of the year.

When things start to quiet down.

I thought that we'd get the education out there.

We did the contact tracing.

We did contact tracing in last summer, seven days a week.

We contacted individuals to let them know they've been exposed and what to do, what precautions to take.

We provided education in our community as much as we could.

So I thought things really would slow down, and then in the fall, things actually got worse.

So we started talking about vaccinations and that a vaccine was coming and we wanted to get prepared for that.

So I'd had some experience planning H1N1 clinics in the community and so I thought I could be of some help to help get the COVID clinics scattered in our community and so I stayed.

Now that the COVID clinics are up and running, things are going great.

We have Community Healthcare.

We have UnityPoint, we have Genesis.

We have healthcare providers that are giving vaccine.

So there's multiple places where people can go and get vaccine and get protected so I think it's time to go.

- Scott County Health Department, Clinical Services Manager Roma Taylor.

In a moment, facing Parkinson's disease head on, and asking you to join the fight.

But first, Laura Adams is keeping tabs on the events opening up to the public despite the pandemic.

This is your chance to go out and about.

- [Laura] This is Out & About through May 4th.

On with the show is a virtual trip through the 73-year history of Quad City music Guild streaming through the 18th, the 2021 Geneseo Artwalk takes place April 17th, celebrating the local art community, the Church Basement Ladies in You Smell Barn continues to entertain on the Circa 21 stage through May 15th.

Plus Recycle the Runway will virtually support Dress for Success Quad Cities on the 22nd.

Kane Brown, Chris Lane & Russell Dickerson perform at the TaxSlayer Center the 22nd while Ribco hosts the Pink Floyd Experiment, April 23rd and 24th.

Tomfoolery On Tremont presents comedy April 25th at 8:00 while Tammy Pescatelli brings the laugh at Rhythm City Casino on the 29th or enjoy Wednesday night of Live Comedy at Open Mic Night at the Gypsy Highway.

Join WQPPT for a special online screening of Ken Burns' Hemingway, April 27th at 6:30, followed by a Q&A with Hemingway biographer, Mary Dearborn.

Ballet Quad Cities present Alice in Wonderland at the Outing Club, April 30th and May 1st, the Quad City Area Craft & Vendor Spring Show is coming May 1st at the Golden Leaf Banquet Center while the Black Box Theater presents Love, Loss and What I Wore April 22nd through May 1st at the downtown Moline Theater.

Plus auditions for Playcrafters Barn Theater take place for Princeton's Rage, April 17th and 18th.

For more information visit wpqt.org.

- Thanks, Laura.

Charlotte Boyer has become quite the star.

As a young high school student she started to take the stage locally to audience who's fell in love with her talents, but then she went much further appearing on the NBC program, The Voice just last month.

We got a chance to share her talents when she came to the Black Box Theater to Moline to perform one of her original works.

Here's Charlotte Boyer with "Beginning To Feel The Blues."

(guitar music playing) ♪ I remember when were little kids ♪ ♪ Being on the voice ♪ ♪ And watching the incredibles ♪ ♪ But ain't no more lunch time had ♪ ♪ Juice box is always empty ♪ ♪ And the playground is trash ♪ ♪ And the playground is trash ♪ ♪ Now I'm beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ I'm beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ I'm beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ I'm beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ Riding the skateboards alone ♪ ♪ The parking lot ♪ ♪ Playing hide and seek till it gets dark ♪ ♪ Dancing to the MJ CD ♪ ♪ But now my friends don't wanna jump with me ♪ ♪ Now I'm beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ Beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ I'm beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ I'm beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ Beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ Beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ I'm beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ People changing people right now ♪ ♪ But still my life remains the same ♪ ♪ People more people grow up ♪ ♪ But still my life will never change ♪ ♪ I'm beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ Beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ I'm beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ I'm beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ Beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ I'm beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ I'm beginning to feel the blues ♪ ♪ 'Cause things are not same as they were before ♪ ♪ And they are not my friends anymore ♪ ♪ Sticks are not as they were before ♪ ♪ And they are not my friends anymore.

♪ - Charlotte Boyer with "Beginning to feel the Blues".

Parkinson's disease is not fatal but it does put great strain on the body as its symptoms include involuntary shaking slow movement and stiff inflexible muscles but it can also lead to anxiety and depression.

So those who get the diagnosis often need a security net, a support system, an advocate even.

Actor and performer Tom Vaccaro has found himself playing several roles but this latest one as a Parkinson's patient maybe his most challenging.

We sat down to talk to him about it.

So Tom, take me back to the moment that you got the diagnosis.

I mean it hits you like a bomb, does it not?

- Well, it wasn't really a moment.

It crept on me really, because I had spoken to several health professionals before that and in a little bit, it was finally confirmed by a neurologist I'd already been talking about it for several weeks.

It wasn't really a smack in the head, it was more just like okay that's what it is, and a confirmation.

It wasn't devastating.

It didn't knock me over.

My first question was, what do I do now?

- Have you talked to other Parkinson's patients about that?

I mean is that a similar response to a lot of people, is that the disease creeps up on you and finally, you're able to put a name to it?

- I haven't spoken to a lot of people about it, but it is true that it does creep up on you because its the symptoms.

I wrote it off as something else.

At the time I was teaching at two different colleges, had a number of side gigs and was just busy all the time.

I was in a hurry.

I'm throwing my feet because I'm in a hurry.

My handwriting is going bad because I'm in a hurry.

Everything was because I was in a hurry.

So I was finding other reasons to blame it on.

Not that I was trying to avoid it, but I really had no clue.

There was nothing in my family history, nothing said to me it could be Parkinson's.

So I really was looking and looking for what it could mean.

Never thinking that it could be Parkinson's.

- Well, let's be honest.

We're all getting older and we're getting these aches and pains and you kind of just chalk it up to old age - That too yeah, that too.

It coincided with my taking a break.

I've been a runner since the 1970s and after a number of marathons and half marathons and every race you can imagine, I took a break.

I was burned down running.

So I took a break.

Unfortunately it coincided with the onset of these symptoms coincided with my return to running again because it was difficult, I couldn't run again.

Well, I definitely back in (mumbles) So I thought maybe I was just not as in shape as I was, and it would come back.

When it didn't come back, as quickly as it had in the past or to the level that I had in the past then the red light came on.

- So as you said that you felt certain symptoms, but didn't know what it was, and then you got the name associated with it, and then you said, okay, I have Parkinson's disease, did you look for a support group and not find one?

- I didn't really look right away.

I was asking the doctors, the neurologists and the professionals.

I was asking them, what should I do?

I started reading.

Finally, maybe, I don't know, maybe half my journey into it, it's been a year and a half now.

Maybe half my journey into that, I started looking for support.

Unfortunately, again, coincidence of things happening, that was one of the pandemic was in full swing.

So all the in-person support groups had stopped.

There are plenty out there, I don't want to say that there are no support groups.

There are plenty of them out there, but they could not hold in person meetings because of the pandemic.

- Tom we have seen that actually in time and time again, with all different types of situations that these support groups are gone.

In a way you want to revive it in a high-tech form, basically a Zoom - Right.

Again, it's meant to be a temporary fix until we can meet together in person.

But temporarily I've started Zoom group.

We have a small group of maybe five, six, seven people and we try to meet every other Thursday and just not only the Parkinson's people but the caregivers too.

We had a caregiver sit on the first meeting and that's made me think, well they're traveling the same road we are, and they're carrying a burden for the person not them, they're carrying a lot of responsibility for the person that they're caring for.

They worry, they have a lot of stress.

So it turned the zooming into supporting caregivers and people with Parkinson's.

- That's a great idea because let's be honest you're absolutely right.

The caregivers, it's a journey for them as well.

I don't want to say it's as tough, but it can be very very difficult for them as well.

So how does somebody get involved in your Zoom sessions?

- Well, that's something I'm wondering if maybe we can contact them, contact you because I didn't want to put my personal email and phone number and all that on line on TV for obvious reasons.

So I'm looking for a way to get people to join our Zoom group.

I wonder if they could in any way on this outfit, could they contact you and you contact me?

- Tell you what I got my name on the screen right now.

That is the email that you can go to and we'll leave it up there for a few moments and while you're talking about something else because it's interesting.

You don't wanna go through this alone but you don't want others to go through this alone.

This is your mission now in some ways.

- Right.

My mantra you might say is based on two different commercials that I used to see One said, be all that you can be.

Another one said you can't win unless you play.

So be all you can be.

I want to emphasize you.

Be all you can be, not the person who wants were.

Not me, not anyone else you read about or hear about or see interviews from.

Be all you can be.

Everyone has a different level.

Everyone might get Michael Fox diagnosis and that's the thing about it.

Michael Fox went going on diagnosis at 29 years old.

It's everything in between in diagnosis.

The symptoms in very, very, very individual individuals, every person.

So my point is be all that you can be.

You can be the best you can be.

If that means getting out and running, walking, biking, great.

If it means using a YouTube, YouTube, has a lot of movement classes designed specifically for Parkinson's.

If you wanna get online and watch one of those when you're sitting in a chair, moving onto the legs and doing some smaller movements, do that but be all that you can be.

Not someone else.

Not even the person you used to be.

You're not that person anymore.

That's a fact.

So you gotta deal with it.

The other part of can't win unless you play and you gotta get up and try, you have to try.

Again, I'm thinking from a position of a person who has the ability to walking and running and biking, not like I used to at all.

I probably won't ever do a marathon again, I'm working trying to do the day but it's not about what I can just go and use and do, unless you try, unless you play, you can't win.

- Let's be honest.

That's very inspirational.

It underlines another thing is that any support you can get or give is so vitally important.

I wanna point out that Parkinson's Moving Day is coming up May 22nd.

I know you wanted to talk about that.

That is based in this particular instance, that's in Chicago, is it not?

- Yeah it's in Chicago, the nearest one to the Quad City that I can find is in Chicago.

They are going back and forth between making it virtual I think in 2020 or making a real walking thing.

If they make it a real physically participating thing then you can go to the website is movingdaywalk.org.

Go there and you get all the information.

I'm planning to go to Chicago.

I would like everyone in Quad City.

to go to Chicago, do that one.

I can't help you next year I can get one going here in Quad City.

It's a team thing where you gather a team of either physical or financial supporters and they put so much through mile.

If you walk however many miles you walk or run or whatever having hit do the mile, and there's some much money you make.

So many other similar events.

So that's what it is, and May 22nd segments set in Chicago.

I'm going to go and do it, and I started bringing it back.

So in the meantime if people want to support me now, it'd be great.

- That's Tom Vaccaro.

To learn more, just type Parkinson's Quad Cities in your Google search bar details on the disease and help that you can get on the air on the radio, on the web on your mobile device and streaming on your computer.

Thanks for taking some time to join us as we talk about the issues on the cities.

(soft music playing) - [Narrator] Wheelan Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, are proud supporter of WQPT has been serving Quad City's families since 1889.

Now providing livestream capabilities for viewing your loved one's funeral or Memorial service at their chapel in Rock Island.