ONE Health Ohio expects to administer 600 vaccines by Friday
YOUNGSTOWN — Donna Alcorn and her husband, Bill, both received the coronavirus vaccine Wednesday from ONE Health Ohio.
She said they were having a difficult time scheduling an appointment but got one with help from her husband’s ONE Health Ohio doctor.
Alcorn said she had no concerns about the coronavirus and felt great after taking the vaccine.
“I have great faith in the people that are making this possible,” she said.
Alcorn said her family has not been greatly affected by COVID-19 but has been anxious to receive the vaccine.
She said she hopes this is the first step in bringing down the number of deaths and hospitalizations related to COVID-19.
“For those who have gone through the sadness ... I cannot imagine it,” she said.
ONE Health Ohio will host coronavirus vaccine clinics today and Friday at the Youngstown Community Center, 726 Wick Ave., and the Lloyd McCoy Health Center, 1977 Niles Road SE.
Dr. Maria Kowal, chief medical officer at ONE Health Ohio, said this is the first vaccine clinic ONE Health Ohio has been able to do since the first shipment of 600 Moderna vaccines Monday. ONE Health Ohio is expecting another shipment of about 200 vaccines next week.
Kowal said the vaccine clinics are for people who qualify under Phase 1B for coronavirus vaccinations, including those who are 65 and older and people who are 18 and older with early childhood conditions that are carried into adulthood.
ONE Health Ohio clinics were also vaccinating grade K-12 employees from Liberty and Weatherfield schools who also qualify under Phase 1B.
“They see this as one step toward normalcy,” Kowal said.
Kowal said about 119 employees were being vaccinated from Liberty Local Schools and about 55 employees from Weathersfield Schools.
Weathersfield Schools Superintendent Damon Dohar received his vaccine Wednesday. He said about 90 percent of the school’s staff was planning on receiving the vaccine when it was announced they were eligible.
Dohar said he is excited about receiving the vaccine and is ready for when school can be back to normal.
Students at Weathersfield Schools have been learning in person five days per week since school started in the fall, he said. Only about 5 percent of Weathersfield Schools students are currently learning online.
“We’ve had to adapt to a lot,” Dohar said.
Dohar said it’s been a rough year for students since sports and other activities that are the main social aspects of school were taken away due to the pandemic.
“That’s a big thing for kids,” Dohar said.
This story was originally published February 25, 2021 at 4:40 AM with the headline "ONE Health Ohio expects to administer 600 vaccines by Friday."