There鈥檚 a rush for vaccines in many parts of Ohio, as those who are eligible race to websites of health clinics and pharmacies to book appointments for shots as soon as they become available.
It鈥檚 the first day of a mass vaccination clinic at . Amy McCormick of Kroger says this Columbus mass vaccination clinic is set up to be efficient.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a well-oiled machine. Our goal is to get as many people through as we can. We are averaging about 300 vaccines an hour. Just over 3,000 a day and then again, over the course of four days, we鈥檒l execute over 12,000 vaccines," McCormick said.
Kroger is also operating a similar mass vaccination clinic at the Slots at both locations were filled almost as fast as they went online. There鈥檚 also a federal vaccination clinic at the in downtown Cleveland.
This is one of Ohio鈥檚 15 mass vaccination clinics in big cities as well as smaller towns, including Dayton, Cincinnati, Athens, Youngstown, Steubenville, Ada, Zanesville, Marietta, Maumee, Lima, Wilmington and Akron. Soon four mobile clinics will soon be operating, too.
And there are more than 1,200 pharmacies and medical clinics statewide where people can get their shots.
Lorezno Thomas from Columbus says he is thrilled to be getting his first of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
鈥淚 gotta get it. I just want to be safe for my family, for everybody," Thomas said.
Thomas is African American, a group that medical experts fear might be hesitant to get the vaccines. State health leaders have been reaching out to minority populations in recent weeks with town halls and PSAs including prominent African American Ohioans. Thomas says the people he knows don鈥檛 need any more convincing.
鈥淓verybody is getting their shots. All of my neighborhood is getting their shots. They beat me to it,鈥� he said.
While some city dwellers say they are going to small towns to get their shots, some residents there are making the trip to the bigger vaccination clinics like this one. Rachelle Hepperly came from Waynesville.
鈥淚 think that as soon as we are available to do it, we should do it. I work in the medical field, but I wanted everyone who needed it first to get it. I鈥檓 an administrator so I thought I鈥檇 kind of wait, but I wanted to make sure to get it because if it is what we can do to help everybody else, we should get it," Hepperly said.
Some county-run clinics may demand shots go only to local residents. And some surrounding states may refuse to vaccinate Ohioans. But anyone who meets the age, medical or occupational restrictions put forward by the state is welcome to use Ohio鈥檚 state-sponsored mass vaccination clinics. Christopher Rieder of West Palm Beach, Fla., has been staying with his older parents in Central Ohio, helping them through this pandemic. He didn鈥檛 want to wait until he returned home to get his vaccine.
鈥淭he sooner the better for me as far as I am concerned because herd immunity is going to be really hard in this country, you know 80%-75%. There are so many people saying, 鈥業 don鈥檛 need it. I don鈥檛 want it,鈥� so the more of us that get the shot, the sooner we will get to a place where we can think of it as the flu, where we can just think, 鈥業鈥檓 ok. I鈥檝e got it covered," Rieder said.
The supply of vaccines has been ramping up in recent weeks. And as that has happened, eligibility has been expanded. Anyone 40 or older or who has a long list of medical conditions or who works in qualifying occupations can get the shot now. And on March 29, anyone over 16 will be able to get vaccines, although minors will be restricted to getting doses of Pfizer. Almost 24% of Ohio鈥檚 total population have started the process of getting COVID vaccines. More than 13% of all Ohioans are fully immunized. The state set up the website gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov to provide information about locations where shots are available and how to schedule them.
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