Randolph County Caring Community continues to try to encourage residents to get COVID vaccinations. The organization’s executive director, Brian Williams, says the group will be working in 25 counties in northeast and central Missouri, listening to residents on why they have or have not been vaccinated.

Williams says they’ve talked to about 2,000 people so far.

For the people who were originally hesitant, but who have since been vaccinated, Williams says “trusted messengers” were more influential than experts.

Williams says for many trusted messengers, their stories of going through a health scare have often been most effective.