CINCINNATI — Mayor John Cranley received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Friday afternoon, the first day he was eligible.
“They’re about to stick needles in my arm,” he joked in a doctors-office video posted to Twitter. “Help.”
Today is one of the most exciting days I’ve experienced in the last year, so we had to have some fun. I happily received my first dose of the Moderna Vaccine from @cincihealthdept Director of Nursing Jenny Scott. I’m feeling great, no pain thus far. Please get yours when you can. pic.twitter.com/xIhSiurR0W
— John Cranley (@JohnCranley) March 19, 2021
Craley, 47, qualifies for the shot under new Ohio guidelines that made all Ohioans over 40 eligible for vaccination on Friday.
Gov. Mike DeWine plans to extend the criteria to include every adult in the state beginning March 29.
It’s a rapid jump, DeWine acknowledged in his Thursday afternoon news conference, but the state expects to soon receive thousands of additional doses in its weekly allotment from the federal government.
It’s better to use them than let any go to waste, he added. That means expanding eligibility to ensure the widest possible patient base.
Cranley received the shot from Jenny Scott, director of nursing for the Cincinnati Health Department.
“I encourage everyone to get a vaccine as soon as you’re eligible,” he said.
