There's been a lot of talk about how and where to score a COVID-19 vaccine without a hassle, and the answer is, in summary, with patience. We've also gotten specific answers to questions we've heard about vaccines, including whether Paul Brown Stadium will be a vaccination site.
Public health officials, medical and pharmacy providers are encouraging people to stay within the rules: Make an appointment for a vaccine, don't just show up. Wait for public announcements about new vaccine venues.
Meanwhile, questions continue to swirl about ways to hack your way to a vaccine.
Is there a waiting list at the convention center vaccine site?
One scenario is whether you can go to the mass vaccination site at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, daily put your name on a waiting list and then get a leftover shot at the end of the day. Without commenting on whether such a list exists for the convention center, a Kroger spokesman said whether you can get a shot this way is highly unlikely – and highly discouraged.
"Our teams are getting very skilled at understanding how many vaccines they can get out of a vial and when those vaccines need to be opened to support our upcoming appointments for the day," said spokesman Erin Rolfes. "Very rarely, they will have an additional dose or two, and those will be distributed to people in the eligible age range."
Rolfes said waiting at the convention center (where Kroger runs the vaccinations) or a Kroger store where there's a pharmacy in hopes of getting a shot was "strongly discouraged." The same is true of contacting a store instead of using Kroger's online system.
"As we're seeing more doses become available in the coming weeks, I would encourage readers to make an appointment and – once they have a confirmed appointment – to keep it," Rolfes said in an email. "It’s the fastest, most reliable way to schedule a COVID vaccine."
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Here's our Enquirer vaccination guide:How and where to get a COVID-19 vaccine
Here are those questions we've heard, and the responses from providers.
Can I linger in Kenwood Towne Centre and grab a shot?
The way to get a vaccine through Mercy Health is like just about everywhere else. Get signed up. Go through your MyChart account, or call 866-624-0366. You must meet the criteria for the group that's getting vaccinated, and you must have an appointment, officials said.
If you were at Kenwood Towne Centre several weeks ago, when public vaccinations were just starting, you might've seen a nurse practitioner offer a vaccine at the end of the day to someone shopping or mall-walking. That was to ensure no dose was wasted if someone missed their vaccination appointment, said Nanette Bentley, spokeswoman for the hospital system. "It was use it or lose it."
But it doesn't happen anymore, she said: "Now we have a waiting list." The list is managed by those managing appointments, so there's no special number to call. If you’re on the list and your name comes up, you’ll be contacted by Mercy Health.
When can I get a shot at Xavier University's Cintas Center?
The answer to this is still unknown.
A couple of vaccination events were held at the center in Evanston last weekend by the Cincinnati Health Department. But the city currently does not have more planned there.
If you've heard there are more events on the way, you heard right: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine last week issued a list of upcoming mass vaccination sites through the state, and Cintas Center is among them. Kroger, Cincinnati Health Department, Hamilton County Public Health and the Health Collaborative were all named as Ohio Department of Health partners for the site. The state's release also noted that Kroger will partner for another, undetermined site in Cincinnati.
But as of Tuesday, Ohio Department of Health spokeswoman Alicia Shoults said no dates or sign-ups had been finalized. That will happen, she said, "in the coming days."
Is Paul Brown Stadium going to be a mass vaccination site?
Best answer for now? Maybe.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a letter to President Joe Biden saying all teams would make their stadiums available as mass vaccination sites, the Cincinnati Bengals said in a statement. "The Bengals have had discussions with the Cincinnati Health Department as well as TriHealth about the possibility of using the stadium as a vaccination site," the statement continued. "They are currently working with us to explore how the stadium could be utilized in their vaccination efforts.”
Cincinnati Health Department officials said they've been evaluating different options as the weather changes, and Paul Brown Stadium has always been among them. As of now, it's not, but the health department will let the public know if that changes.
Can people get squeezed into shots at St. E's?
Perseverance. And a lot of online page refreshing.
Like other locations, this Erlanger site is an appointment-only venue. Over time, the center has gradually increased the number of people being vaccinated, because it has received more vaccines. So more people than ever are getting vaccinated.
This week, the training center on Olympic Boulevard can vaccinate 1,200 people a day, for five weekdays, which means 6,000 in all. The week of March 15, officials expect to be able to accommodate 1,400 people per day for vaccinations, which adds to 7,000 for a five-day period, said St. E spokesman Guy Karrick.
"There are periodic cancellations and more vaccinations (than expected)," Karrick said. "When that occurs, we open up appointments."
But there's no way to know in advance when that will occur. Karrick recommended that people check availability routinely through their St. Elizabeth MyChart account for openings. St. Elizabeth Healthcare is also hosting a special vaccine event for the Northern Kentucky University community at BB&T Arena on March 20-21 and may do other special weekend vaccination events. Stay tuned for public announcements.
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