SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio – The state’s mass vaccination clinic planned for the Summit County Fairgrounds opens beginning April 3 for three to four days per week, Summit County officials said Friday.

What You Need To Know

  • The Summit County Fairgrounds Mass Vaccination Center will open Saturday, April 3 and will be open three to four days per week, for at least eight weeks

  • The fairgrounds is located at 229 E. Howe Road in Tallmadge

  • Appointments are required for the drive-thru clinic, which is expected to administer about 5,000 doses per week once it’s at full capacity

  • Summit County Public Health will manage the clinic, assisted by the Medical Reserve Corps and Ohio National Guard, and medical professionals from the state and local hospitals

Ohioans will be able to sign up online for appointments, which are required. Appointments will be- made on a first come first served basis, the county said.

The sign-up link will be live once the health department knows whether it's receiving one- or two-dose vaccines, officials said.

The fairgrounds mass vaccination center, located at 229 E. Howe Road in Tallmadge, will be a drive-thru clinic with multiple drive-thru lanes.

Summit County Public Health will manage the clinic, assisted by the Medical Reserve Corps and Ohio National Guard, and medical professionals from the state and local hospitals, officials said.

The fairgrounds clinic is scheduled to run for eight weeks, but could remain open longer depending on the need.

Residents should bring an I.D. and plan to spend 15 minutes in their car in an observation area after receiving their shot. Residents are urged to show up on time for appointments to help the health department control traffic flow, officials said.

The center will ramp up incrementally, from 1,000 to 2,000 doses per day the first week, increasing to about 5,000 doses per week, officials said.

Summit METRO RTA will begin offering free rides to vaccine appointments at any location to people who can show proof of an appointment, RTA said in a news release. Residents must register for a vaccination appointment before scheduling a ride.

Anyone who receives Medicaid also is eligible for free transportation to and from an appointment, and can register for a ride by calling 330-643-8200.

County Executive Ilene Shapiro, Summit County Public Health and METRO RTA are working with community organizations to reach residents living in ZIP codes with the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rate, the county said.

The groups will host a live public Q&A on Summit County Public Health’s and the County Executive’s respective Facebook pages on Thursday April 1 at noon.

The Summit County Fairgrounds clinic is one of 15 regional vaccination centers the state plans to open in Ohio.  

So far about 24% of Summit County residents and 26% of Ohioans have received at least one vaccination, according to the Ohio Public Health Department. 

Percentage of residents receiving at least one dose in Northeast Ohio counties:

  • Cuyahoga County: 27%
  • Lorain County: 27%
  • Summit County: 24%
  • Geauga County: 29%
  • Medina County: 27%
  • Stark County: 24%
  • Portage County: 22%
  • Wayne County: 20%

Immunization takes about two weeks after the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to achieve about 52% protection from COVID-19, officials said. Once the second shot is given, it takes about two weeks to be fully immunized.

None of the vaccines offer 100% immunity, officials said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the Moderna vaccine is 94% effective in preventing COVID-19 after two doses and the Pfizer vaccine is 95% effective after two doses. Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose vaccine is 66% effective within two weeks, and is highly effective in preventing hospitalization and death from the virus.

Summit Heath’s lottery-style vaccination program has been underway, administering vaccinations at its West Market Street location. Anyone who received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine there should also get their second dose there – not at the fairgrounds, officials said.