COLUMBUS (WCMH) – Columbus Public Health is trying to get COVID-19 vaccines into as many arms as possible.
On Tuesday, it will be a month since CPH started vaccinating people at the Ohio State Fairgrounds.
The program initially began by vaccinating rescue workers in the city. Then it opened up to the 80s and above. Now it’s open to those 75 and above.
At the time, Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts that all appointments for this week have been booked.
Just under 13,000 doses of the vaccine were given in the last month, most of which were first-time doses.
Roberts estimated that about 300 people received their second dose.
“I was very concerned about the reluctance of the vaccine among our population because I knew we had to get between 70 and 80 percent to get this herd immunity, so I was really worried that people wouldn’t want the vaccine “, she said. “I’ve learned that the want and demand for this vaccine is there and we just need to find the vaccine to make that happen.”
Roberts said vaccine supply was the biggest challenge facing CPH. If there were enough supplies, her team could vaccinate at least 1,200 people on the exhibition grounds every day.
“Given that this is a new vaccine and there is always a start, this first week was a little difficult, but we learned a few things and it is clear that the community today has a much greater interest in the vaccine than four weeks ago, ”she said.
