Reid Health: Administers its 5,000th COVID-19 Vaccine Dose (Richmond)

Reid Health this week reached and quickly exceeded a milestone in its COVID-19 vaccination efforts, administering its 5,000th dose on Tuesday.

All told, the health system had given out 5,557 doses since vaccinations began in mid-December through the end of the day Tuesday, according to statistics from the Indiana State Department of Health.

“With each milestone we achieve, we move that much closer to getting back to some measure of normalcy,” said Thomas Huth, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs for Reid Health. “We’re encouraged to see the community respond so well to the opportunity to get vaccinated, and we hope many others will join them in the days and months ahead.”

Reid, designated a host site by the Indiana State Department of Health, opened its new mass vaccination site Tuesday at the Kuhlman Center on the Wayne County Fairgrounds, replacing the previous Richmond location at the Medical Office Building on the main Reid campus.

The new site greatly expanded the health system’s capacity for distributing the vaccine to the community. On its first day of operation, 725 doses were administered at the Kuhlman Center clinic. That’s more than three times the average number that had been given out each day previously at Reid’s other locations.

Hours at the Kuhlman Center (861 N. Salisbury Road) are 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. Once on site, patients will find directional signs and a phone number to call upon their arrival.

Any Hoosier age 70 and older as well as healthcare workers and first responders are eligible to be vaccinated for free at this time. The Indiana State Department of Health plans to open vaccinations to more people as supplies from manufacturers become available.

Patients must schedule a visit through the state website, ourshot.in.gov, using either the Firefox or Chrome web browser. Those who need help to set up an appointment may call 211, and that staff can complete the necessary work over the phone.

“With each milestone we achieve, we move that much closer to getting back to some measure of normalcy. We’re encouraged to see the community respond so well to the opportunity to get vaccinated, and we hope many others will join them in the days and months ahead.” — Thomas Huth, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs

After an appointment has been scheduled, patients will be sent a link to complete their registration. That information doesn’t have to be filled out before arriving for their scheduled vaccination but doing so ahead of time will speed up the process.

Only those who live or work in Indiana are eligible to be vaccinated at the Kuhlman Center. Ohio residents who don’t work in Indiana should visit coronavirus.ohio.gov to learn more about how to get vaccinated in their home counties.

The Wayne County Health Department also is operating a vaccination clinic at the former Elder-Beerman building in downtown Richmond. Patients should be sure to note which site they’re signing up for as they register and then go to that same location for their scheduled appointment.

Full vaccination requires two shots, with the second coming either 21 or 28 days after the first, depending on which manufacturer’s vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) a patient initially receives. A second appointment will be scheduled while waiting out a required 15-minute observation time during the first visit.

Reid also continues to operate vaccination clinics in Lynn and Connersville for those who already have scheduled their second appointment. First shots no longer are available at those sites.

Those with questions about the COVID-19 vaccine can call Reid Health’s hotline at 765-965-4200 Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. They also can visit the FAQ section of the Reid website.