Butler Health System marked an anniversary Saturday — it was one year since the first vaccine against COVID-19 was given by the health system.

BHS said in a recent statement that it started with health care workers, offering vaccines to those on the front line dealing with the wave of infection, and then quickly expanded to the most vulnerable.

Last December, most county residents waited, anxiously checking the limited eligibility criteria and sometimes time slots available to supply fluctuation.

While we waited, the reports of COVID-positive cases, the death toll and loved ones on ventilators struggling to breathe in hospitals closed to visitors brought icy feelings of fear.

The economy was shut down. There were few cars on the roads. Many of us were washing our groceries and learning to work and shop from home. Some of us were terrified to touch the pump to get gasoline or sit in a church pew.

The availability of the vaccine continued to grow, including the places where you can get a vaccine and who can get one. It is now available to children as young as 5 years old.

A year later, while we are still encouraged to wear masks and social distance, we can dine out, buy our own groceries, get our hair done, go to work and send our children to school.

On the year anniversary, our local health system reports it has administered more than 162,000 adult and pediatric COVID-19 vaccine doses to date at Butler Memorial and Clarion hospitals.

What does that mean to Butler County?

In a county of 187,853 residents, 110,156 are fully covered by the vaccine.

According to the state Department of Health website Sunday, there were 21,962 confirmed COVID cases in Butler County and 586 deaths. More than 72,000 people were concerned that they had the virus but tested negative.

The vaccine isn’t fullproof, and variants of the virus keep surfacing. But our health care professionals tell us the vaccine gives our bodies a better chance at fighting the infection.

“While BHS celebrates this milestone and the successes to date, our work is far from done,” the health system said in its statement. “COVID-19 continues to take a brutal toll on our communities, with ongoing threats to our health.”

We recognize and applaud BHS and its efforts to protect and care for us. But before the pandemic is over even more will be required of the system and its employees.

To support our front-line workers, we must step up.

The health system needs residents’ cooperation to put our community on the best footing to fight the pandemic.

While some are unable to get the vaccine because of health reasons, everyone who can should do so. Consider it a Christmas gift to yourself, your loved ones, and those health care professionals and front-line workers who face the realities and risks of COVID-19 daily.

— DJS