Ohio puts pause on workplace clinics not open to public

TOLEDO (AP) — Ohio’s vaccination rollout is moving toward outlining how private clinics can give COVID-19 shots at workplaces, churches and schools. But for now, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration has told health care providers to stop scheduling clinics that aren’t open to the public.

A handful of such clinics have popped up in recent weeks at offices, union halls and factories in the Toledo area for employees and their families. Organizers say they’ve given shots to thousands of people, many who didn’t want to take time off work or were reluctant to be vaccinated.

“Those barriers were taken away,” said Matt Sapara, vice president of regional development and operations at Mercy Health in Toledo.

The clinics also can be more effective at reaching people of color, he said.

At a private event for Jeep workers and their families in Toledo two weeks ago, about 20% of those vaccinated were from ethnic minority groups — a much higher percentage than they’ve seen at the public vaccination sites, Sapara said.

State officials told providers, including Mercy Health, late last week to take a temporary pause with the nonpublic clinics because it first wants to make sure that there are enough doses for everyone, especially now that everyone ages 16 and older became eligible this week, said DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney.

“The concern is that these types of closed pods would take away from public access,” he said. “It’s not that they aren’t a valuable tool. This should not be taken as any discouragement of the enthusiasm to get everyone vaccinated.”

State officials, he said, are working on guidelines that could be released in the coming week and spell out how the nonpublic vaccination clinics could operate.

These clinics that bring shots to where people work and live will be a part of the state’s strategy, Tierney said.