Mifflin Township Approved by State to Operate COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic for Gahanna, Mifflin Township Residents

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Mifflin Township has been given the green light by the state of Ohio to operate a COVID-19 vaccine clinic, staffed by firefighters/paramedics from the Division of Fire, making the township one of the first area fire divisions to offer a clinic.

Township Trustees Lynn Stewart, Dick Angelou and Kevin Cavener voted last week at a special meeting to approve the Division of Fire’s request to utilize a township facility to vaccinate Gahanna and Mifflin Township residents in the unincorporated area. Residents will need to meet criteria set forth by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Ohio Department of Health (ODOH). Mifflin Township’s Division of Fire applied to the Ohio Department of Health, along with other area fire divisions, to be considered as a vaccine clinic site.

Assistant Fire Chief Brian Dunlevy reported to the township trustees at last week’s special meeting that the township clinic will most likely will operate several days a week but can scale up distribution depending upon availability of the vaccine supply.

“Our first responders have been directly impacted by this pandemic, and we want to play a role in stopping the spread of this virus,” said Mifflin Township Fire Chief Frederick Kauser. “We are most often thought of in an emergency, when a loved one is critically ill and in need emergency care, but we can play a critical role in prevention and managing the pandemic, too. We want to flip the script, to improve the health and well being of our residents. That is our hope, that with each vaccine administered we slow the spread and reduce the severity of the illness.”

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Franklin County has had more than 108,000 cases and 783 deaths from COVID-19. Over the past month, Mifflin Township Community Paramedic Kenny King, and other staff, participated in the public vaccine clinic located on Morse Road, assisting in vaccinating more than 600 residents per day, as well as supplementing staff at area hospitals.

“The trustees are in complete support of this effort to assist with Ohio’s statewide push to distribute the vaccine to residents,” said Chair Lynn Stewart, Mifflin Township Board of Trustees. “This partnership with the Ohio Department of Health gives us an opportunity to answer the call for service; to do everything in our power to keep our residents safe.”

As details are finalized, clinic dates/times and location will be announced, and an online registration link will be provided. To schedule an appointment, residents will register online through the state of Ohio’s system. No walk-ins will be allowed.

Trustee and retired firefighter Kevin Cavener said “This has been a long year and we are so proud to be able to give back to our community and help residents and families on the path to getting life back to normal.”

Residents who wish to obtain information regarding the vaccine or to determine their eligibility should visit https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home

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