Ohio officials announced last week a mass vaccination clinic planned to administer 6,000 COVID-19 vaccines a day will open in Cleveland this month.

That is wonderful news, but it is a FEMA-supported federal project that will likely not have much impact on Ohioans outside the Cleveland metro area.

What will make a difference for the rest of us is another announcement from Gov. Mike DeWine — that the state will open 15 long-term mass vaccination clinics to expand regional access to the vaccine. These are not federal projects.

They’ll make a difference in places such as Lima, Dayton, Columbus, Akron, Youngstown, Cincinnati, Chillicothe, Marietta, Wilmington and Zanesville, and will be joined by four mobile vaccine clinics that will hit more rural areas.

“We are really at a point in this battle against the virus where we now have a very effective weapon. We have three weapons. Three different vaccines,” DeWine said. “They’re very effective tools.”

As has been the case from the first news of an effective vaccine, another challenge remains. That challenge is overcoming unfounded fears about the shots to make everyone who is eligible part of the battle against this monster.

Folks, you are running out of excuses. There are three vaccine options, and soon they will be accessible almost anywhere in the state — and to more people with each new age group allowed to get in line.

Better still, the state has made it even easier to arrange your appointment to receive the shots. You can register for the vaccine at gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov.

By visiting that site, you can first determine if you are eligible to be vaccinated (all Ohioans 50 years old and older will be by the end of this week). Then you can use the tools provided there to schedule an appointment and to receive updates and reminders.

Even providers who use another system for registration must use one that interfaces with it.

Now that it is so easy for so many Buckeye State residents to receive the vaccine, make sure you do your part to protect yourself and everyone around you.