Gov. DeWine visits COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Schottenstein Center
Editor's Note: As of 5/27/21, all COVID-19 vaccinations are administered at East Hospital. Learn how to schedule.
A sense of relief
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine visited The Ohio State University’s Jerome Schottenstein Center on March 9 to see how the mass vaccination site operates. Speaking with staff and leaders from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and the university — including Ohio State Wexner Medical Center CEO Hal Paz, Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson and Director of Athletics Gene Smith — DeWine said he was impressed with the setup.
He even stopped to give Radar, one of Ohio State’s Buckeye Paws dogs, a full belly rub.
“I’ve been hearing for some time about this operation, and it’s just as impressive as everyone has said it is,” DeWine said. “I had an opportunity to speak with those working here and those getting vaccinated, and the common theme here is there’s a sense of relief. People are very happy to get the vaccine.”
One year later
The visit came exactly one year after Ohio announced its first confirmed case of COVID-19 — and the same week thousands more Ohioans became eligible to receive a vaccine.
As of March 9, over 2 million people in Ohio had received a COVID-19 vaccine, with over 79,000 of those vaccines administered at the Schottenstein Center.
“We’re extraordinarily proud of everyone for the work they’re doing at the Wexner Medical Center,” said Dr. Hal Paz. “We can only get to the end of the pandemic by reaching herd immunity, which we can get to by continuing to wear masks and get vaccines.”
Ohio State was one of the first hospitals in the nation to administer COVID-19 vaccines, and it remains at the forefront of curbing the pandemic, vaccinating thousands of patients each day at its mass vaccination clinic within the Schottenstein Center. On March 2, it was the first in the nation to administer the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Depending on availability, those who receive their shot at the Schottenstein Center may be able to choose among the three vaccine options — but Ohio State’s medical experts say the best shot is whatever one you can get.
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