Dayton Mayor Whaley gets vaccinated, encourages others to do the same

DAYTON — Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley wasted no time to get her COVID-19 vaccine.

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“I’ve never been so happy to get a shot,” she said as she got vaccinated Friday.

Whaley got her shot on the first day the state opened eligibility to her age group, 40 and up. She got the jab at the Dayton Convention Center, where Public Health Dayton and Montgomery County have been operating a large clinic for the last several weeks.

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“I’ve been waiting for my turn to get vaccinated and I know that this is the pathway to save lives and to open up our economy,” Whaley said.

As Whaley takes a step toward protecting herself, she is pushing others to do the same.

“We’re trying to encourage everybody to do it,” she said.

Some young people in the Miami Valley share her excitement to sign up.

Emory Beck, a 28-year-old from Dayton said he will get vaccinated as soon as he’s able.

“I want to get it done, get it done and over with,” Beck said.

He said he was initially hesitant about getting such a new vaccine.

“I will admit, I did have my doubts at first,” Beck said.

That initial resistance is still there for others.

“I think it’s just best to wait for more information to come out about it,” 22-year-old Storm Cook said.

Meanwhile, vaccine clinic leaders are preparing for the extra people who will be signing up.

“We know that we’re going to be hit hard here very shortly,” Gregory Braylock, the head pharmacist for Zik’s Family Pharmacy said.

Cox Media Group