T-L Photo/ ROBERT A. DEFRANK Nickles Bakery in Martins Ferry hosts a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for employees Thursday, one of many provided by the Belmont County Health Department.

COLERAIN — The village community center hosted one of several COVID vaccination clinics provided by the Belmont County Health Department on Thursday.

Staff nurse Nikki Papp said setting the clinic up in rural Colerain provided convenient access for many, and they took the opportunity to stop and get the shot.

“We had quite a few people today, 20 in an hour,” she said. More area residents trickled in as she spoke.

She added that it was mostly people who had received their first dose who showed up at the clinic, but some were there for a first dose.

“If they had them at a pharmacy, most are going to go back to the same pharmacy,” she said. “But we did have quite a few seconds out here today. It was just more convenient for them with us being here.”

Papp said walk-in patients have been chiefly younger and middle aged people.

“A lot of the older generation have gotten theirs. Most of them,” she said. “We are getting more young people, because (seniors are) already done. The older generation, it seems like they’ve gotten theirs, and that’s a good thing, but we’re seeing younger people now.”

Among those receiving a second dose were Karen King and daughter Nicole King.

“We live out here. I live in Colerain and I actually have cancer, so my doctor recommended me to go in,” Karen King said. “I got the Pfizer. So far, so good. We haven’t had any side effects.”

Nicole King works for Shelly & Sands and is vulnerable due to her work duties.

“I’m actually a dispatcher, so I could be exposed all the time because they go all over the state of Ohio,” Nicole King said of the construction crews at her job.

Once fully vaccinated, they look forward to celebrating in more social settings.

“We’re going to go to the beach,” Karen King said.

Also getting a shot was Renee Giffin of Colerain.

“I work at home health and trying to protect my patients and my family,” she said, adding that the year of coronavirus has been difficult “It’s been a very challenging year for everyone, I think. … I’m looking forward to getting out.”

A clinic was also set up for an hour at Nickles Bakery in Martins Ferry for employees wanting to be vaccinated on the job site.

“It went well. Probably 10 to 15 took it,” Papp said of that event.

Another clinic was held in the Union Local School District, with students ages 12-17 able to be vaccinated. Another clinic is scheduled for the Bridgeport Exempted Village School District. The health department will also continue to hold a clinic at the community room of the Ohio Valley Mall from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.

For more information, visit gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov.