Gov. Mike DeWine has announced that all Ohioans age 16 and older are eligible to register to be vaccinated. Wittenberg encourages all students, faculty, and staff to be vaccinated.

Appointments are available beginning tomorrow, March 24, through the Clark County Combined Health District (CCCHD), in partnership with Mercy Health. Those eligible can schedule online through ArmorVax by visiting www.ccchd.com. Appointments can also be made over the phone by calling 937-717-2439. The vaccination site is located at the old JCPenney department store at the Upper Valley Mall, just a couple miles from campus. Eligible recipients will want to plan to be at the clinic for approximately an hour.

Wittenberg is collaborating with the CCCHD to coordinate prioritized dates for students to schedule vaccine appointments. These are geared toward students without transportation and will be held on April 7 and April 14. More details on how to register for these events is forthcoming.

Those wishing to go elsewhere for the vaccination can consult a searchable directory of vaccine providers by county and zip code at: vaccine.coronavirus.ohio.gov. Other Miami Valley area locations include Kroger, Meijer Pharmacy, Walmart, and CVS Pharmacy.

Additionally, the Ohio Department of Health has launched a state portal to schedule COVID-19 appointments at gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov. The site links to vaccine providers to schedule the appointment.

The Rocking Horse Community Health Center, located at 651 S. Limestone St. in Springfield, will be offering the vaccine by appointment only during varied hours. However, Rocking Horse patients will take priority. Valid identification and insurance information will be collected. To schedule your vaccine appointment, call 927-525-4521. The New Carlisle Community Health Center, located at 106 N. Main St. in New Carlisle, also has a dedicated phone line for scheduling at 937-543-0310.

“It takes everyone, and we ask you to join us in protecting our community by getting vaccinated,” said DeAnna Sullivan, assistant director of human resources. “Getting vaccinated adds one more layer of protection for you and your family, our co-workers, and our students.”

Here is additional information from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the COVID-19 vaccination:

• All COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are very effective at preventing the disease.
• The most common side effects are pain in the arm around the injection area, feeling tired, headache, body aches, chills, and fever.

For those interested, the Office of University Communications is asking members of the campus community to snap a selfie following their vaccination for use in promoting the benefit of getting vaccinated to others. Photos can be sent to ucomm@wittenberg.edu.

Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools available — wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands frequently, and getting vaccinated. Please see additional information on vaccinations on the Wittenberg webpage and on the CDC’s FAQs webpage.