WILMINGTON — A little over 20 percent of Clinton County’s population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the Clinton County health commissioner reported Monday.
Overall, 8,455 Clinton Countians have gotten a shot of one of the vaccines, said Clinton County Health Commissioner Pam Bauer. According to 2010 census figures, the total population of the county was 42,040 people — so 20.1 percent are at least partly vaccinated.
She also had percentages for the local seniors population. About 65 percent of residents 80 or older are vaccinated with at least one dose.
For Clinton Countians in the 75-through-79 age bracket, 61 percent have received at least one shot. Of residents whose age is between 70 through 74, the percentage is 63.2 percent. And for local senior citizens 65 through 69, it’s 57 percent.
Bauer said a Clinton County Health District (CCHD) scheduling person has recently begun asking residents 80 and older who are making appointments now whether they were unable to get in before. Some of them are saying they were just waiting, wanting to see what everybody else was doing.
Another set of data shows that CCHD has administered a total of 4,370 immunizations. Among those, 3,356 were the Pfizer brand vaccine; 682 were the Moderna brand; and 332 were the Johnson & Johnson brand.
As of Monday morning, there were 114 active COVID-19 cases in Clinton County, reported the health commissioner, who said that is a number she continues to keep a close eye on.
Following a deep dive in active cases, presently the number is “kind of plateauing” and “bumping along” day to day, she said.
“We don’t want variants to take hold in this community, and we’re just sprinting as hard as we can to get the vaccines out,” Bauer said at this week’s regular meeting of the Clinton County Board of Health. “We’re on go-go-go.”
As of Tuesday morning, 58 Clinton County residents have died of COVID-19 related causes, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Bauer mentioned the March 31 start-up of a regional mass vaccination POD (Point Of Distribution) at the Wilmington Air Park’s Welcome Center (1199 Airborne Road).
The mass vaxx site is scheduled to be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, as reported in the News Journal earlier this month.
Bauer said she isn’t positive at this time which vaccine Kroger Pharmacy will offer at the air park location, but indications suggest it may be the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“I understand the site will be going for a couple months, or until demand is no longer there,” she said.
Clinton County Board of Health Chair Terri Thobaben questioned the hours of operations. She said, “Isn’t that an unusual time to get working people in, between 10 and 4? You’d think they’d make it from like 12 to 7 or something.”
Bauer said she would agree with that, noting it was a decision made by the provider Kroger.
The News Journal spoke later in the day with Kym Parks, marketing manager for ATSG which is helping make the POD at the air park possible. She said she understands the hours and weekend days could be expanded depending on demand and vaccine supply.
Bauer publicly thanked Southern State Community College for allowing the Clinton County Health District to utilize the college’s now-empty Wilmington facility as one of the places where CCHD can vaccinate people.
“We can comfortably do 25 people every 15 minutes there,” she said. The former SSCC campus in Wilmington has an ample parking lot as well.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
