Governor DeWine Press Release on Vaccinations
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| March 14, 2021 | Dan Tierney: 614-644-0957 |
| Jill Del Greco: 614-420-6954 |
Thousands of Additional Cleveland Mass Vaccinations Appointments to Open Monday
(CLEVELAND) - Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced yesterday that thousands of additional appointments for Ohio's mass vaccination clinic at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center will be available for registration beginning Monday, March 15, 2021.
Governor DeWine made the announcement at a Sunday evening press conference while outlining the state's plan to maximize vaccination administration while also ensuring equitable access for underserved and socially vulnerable populations. The plans include strategic outreach to maximize getting every dose available to residents in the region.
Among the initiatives announced:
- Additional Appointments Available: Beginning the morning of Monday, March 15, Ohioans who currently qualify for vaccination can register for an appointment at the Wolstein Center Mass Vaccination Clinic between March 24 and March 30. Ohioans can register for the appointments at gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov. Those with trouble navigating the internet or those without internet access can book an appointment by calling 1-833-427-5634 (1-833-4-ASK-ODH).
- Community Partner Registration: Ohio's vaccination plan focuses on ensuring that Ohioans can access vaccines close to home and where they are comfortable receiving health care. Because many underserved communities rely on community partners to deliver health care information and services, Ohio has set aside a portion of available Wolstein Center appointments to be booked through the work of community partners. These partners will help ensure equitable access to the vaccine by targeting underserved communities to fill the reserved appointment times.
- Release of Unbooked and Canceled Appointments to General Public: Also beginning on Monday, March 15, Ohio will begin releasing appointment times reserved for community-partner registration but not filled. These appointments will be available to the general public 48 hours before each clinic date. Appointments that are canceled will also become available to the public for booking. Visit gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov to view the latest appointments as they become available or call 1-833-427-5634 (1-833-4-ASK-ODH).
"We want to ensure that every Ohioan who wants to be vaccinated - no matter where they live - has the opportunity to get the vaccine, and our community partners are crucial in our efforts to make that happen," said Governor DeWine. "More than 1.3 million Ohioans have been fully vaccinated so far, and every day we're getting closer to emerging from this pandemic."
"The opening of the Wolstein Center vaccination site is an important step to helping end this pandemic," said Kevin M. Sligh, Acting Regional Administrator, FEMA Region 5. "The center will greatly expand vaccine availability to individuals at highest risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection; I hope Ohioans in the most underserved communities take advantage of this opportunity to protect themselves against this deadly virus so they can get back to seeing and hugging their loved ones again."
"I encourage every eligible individual to take advantage of the new appointments at the Wolstein Center Mass Vaccination Clinic," said Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson. "Our local, state, and federal partners are working hard to maximize vaccine distribution in a fair and equitable way to those who need it most. These types of mass vaccination sites in our community, along with other preventative measures such as wearing a mask and social distancing will help us slow the spread of COVID-19."
Ohio's mass vaccination clinic at the Wolstein Center will officially open on March 17, following a limited-capacity soft launch on March 16, and the clinic will be capable of offering up to 6,000 vaccine doses a day. Similar to mass vaccination sites in other states, the clinic will incrementally increase the number of vaccines administered before offering the full 6,000 doses, which is expected during the week of March 22. Plans for delivering mass vaccination units are also underway.
The eight-week Wolstein Center Mass Vaccination Clinic will offer first doses of the Pfizer vaccine during weeks one through three, and recipients will be guaranteed their second dose of vaccine at the clinic during weeks four through six. Weeks seven and eight will offer the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Eligible Ohioans throughout the state can book an appointment at the Cleveland mass vaccination clinic or at any of the more than 1,300 local vaccine providers located in Ohio. Fifteen mass vaccination clinics are also opening in other regions in coming weeks.
All Ohioans can search for available appointments near them, including all participating vaccine providers in all 88 counties, by visiting gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov (preferred) or by calling 1-833-427-5634 or 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.
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