Second clinic

A second coronavirus vaccination clinic is set to open in Jay County next week.

IU Health Jay announced Friday that it has been approved as a coronavirus vaccination site, with its clinic set to open Wednesday morning.

The hospital’s clinic joins one at Jay County Health Department that opened Tuesday to provide two local options.

IU Health Jay’s clinic is tentatively scheduled to open for the first time Wednesday. The hospital plans to have its clinic open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The schedule will allow for the clinic to vaccinate up to 90 per day, said IU Health Jay chief nursing officer Christina Schemenaur.

“We’re really excited about having it, that’s for sure,” she added, noting that the health department’s schedule of available appointments has filled quickly.

Appointments for all clinics in Indiana are being handled at the state level. Those interested in making an appointment can do so online at ourshot.in.gov or by calling the state’s 2-1-1 telephone assistance service.

The hospital has been working for a few weeks with its IU Health partners in the east central region — IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital and IU Health Blackford — and Indiana State Department of Health on setting up its clinic.

Those who visit the IU Health Jay clinic should enter through door A, the main entrance, where they will be screened for COVID-19. The clinic will be held in conference rooms A and B. After receiving their shot, patients will be required to be observed for 15 minutes to monitor them for allergic reactions, which have been rare. They will then exit the hospital through door B.

Jay County Health Department’s vaccination clinic opened Tuesday, administering 50 doses of coronavirus vaccine on its first day.

Upcoming dates for its clinic are as follows:

•8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. today

•11:15 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday

•11:15 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday

•8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Jan. 23

The health department will release additional dates when they become available.

Indiana State Department of Health lists additional vaccination clinics available in adjacent counties at Adams County Health Department, Adams Memorial Hospital, Wells County Health Department, the Hartford City Elks Lodge, Delaware County Health Department, IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital and Randolph County Health Department. Schemenaur said Friday that IU Health Blackford has also been approved as a vaccination clinic site, though it was not yet listed as such on the state website as of Friday evening. Any eligible Hoosier can make an appointment at any of the clinics available in Indiana.

Vaccinations are currently available only to those 70 and older as well as healthcare workers and first responders who “have face-to-face interactions with patients or infectious material or work in a public-facing position that requires in-person contact.” Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has said vaccinations will next become available to those 60 and older. Those age groups account for the majority of hospitalizations and deaths attributed to COVID-19.

As of Friday’s update from the state department of health, Jay County has totaled 1,611 cases of COVID-19 and 21 deaths during the pandemic. Though case numbers have been dropping since mid-December, the county is on pace for 221 new cases this month (tied with October for third highest).

Coronavirus is mainly spread through respiratory droplets or small particles from an infected person coughing, sneezing, talking or breathing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that it may be possible those particles and droplets remain suspended in the air for an unknown period of time and travel beyond 6 feet, especially indoors.

CDC guidelines encourage wearing a mask and avoiding close contact when around others and frequent hand washing and surface cleaning as ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The virus causes a range of symptoms, which can appear two to 14 days after exposure. Older adults and those with pre-existing health problems are susceptible to more severe illnesses.