Central Ohio residents wait in line outside Ohio State’s St. John Arena for a COVID-19 vaccine. Credit: Christian Harsa | Asst. Photo Editor
Editor’s Note: Additional vaccine appointments through MyChart at the Wexner Medical Center are added at the top of every hour.
Starting Friday, every Ohio State student can sign up for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment — but it could be confusing as to how to get one.
Eligibility will open up to everyone in Ohio at 16 and older Monday, although individuals 16-17 years old are only eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine under U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. More than 3 million Ohioans have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine — more than a quarter of the state’s population, Gov. Mike DeWine announced at a press conference Thursday.
University President Kristina M. Johnson said Tuesday Ohio State has been developing a plan with DeWine’s office and the Inter-University Council of Ohio to provide vaccinations to the university community. She said that plan will be announced in the coming days.
For now, here is how Ohio State students can get vaccinated:
How do I sign up and get a vaccine appointment?
Students have a variety of options to sign up for vaccines. They can sign up through the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State with the MyChart app, the City of Columbus, Franklin County Public Health and other area medical centers and pharmacies. Ohio also created a central vaccine scheduling tool.
The Ohio Department of Health created an interactive map showing the different vaccine providers across the state and linking to their online portals. At the time of publications, there were 1,325 locations in Ohio.
Students from less densely populated areas of Ohio may have better luck scheduling vaccine appointments in their home counties. Students can find county-specific vaccination information on their county health department website.
When can I sign up?
It depends on the provider. Some health departments and medical centers are scheduling ahead of time for when individuals become eligible; others are waiting till each eligibility window opens.
Do I have to pay for the COVID-19 vaccine?
No. COVID-19 vaccines are provided to everyone for free. Providers may ask for insurance information to be reimbursed for administering the shots but cannot turn away individuals for not having insurance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Which vaccine should I get?
Whichever vaccine you can. Vaccines by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have all been approved as safe by the FDA. Only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for individuals 16-17 years old. All three are approved for individuals at least 18 years old.
