TOLEDO, Ohio — The Lucas County Rec Center, once a packed fieldhouse with a line stretching outside, is now relatively empty, with a few people trickling in for shots. But with school out for summer, many teens have started rolling up their sleeves.
"My friend just got her second shot today too, I don't really want to wear my mask all the time, but I'd still wear it," said one 14 year old at the clinic on Tuesday.
Many teens at the Rec Center chose to get vaccinated so they can get back to their normal activities, mask free and have in-person school next year.
There are about 200,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson shots set to expire in Ohio at the end of this month. Lucas County has just over 3,000 of those doses. Should they go unused, they will get thrown away.
"We would dispose of those like any other biohazard through a sharps container, if you would," said Toledo-Lucas County Health Commissioner Eric Zgodzinski.
Area health departments including Lucas County are hosting multiple vaccine clinics per day, in hopes of putting those doses to use.
The Rec Center has been one of the biggest local vaccination sites in northwest Ohio, vaccinating thousands of people over the past few months.
The health commissioner said eventually the county will look at closing down certain sites that aren't as busy.
But for now, anyone who wants to get a shot has multiple opportunities to do so.
"There's a good possibility that by the end of June, we'll be getting out of the rec center. Everyone has their own reason for waiting, I see no stigma with you waiting," said Zgodzinski.