Health & Fitness

Omicron Variant Threat: Where To Get A Booster In Mentor

The variant hasn't been detected in Ohio, but officials want residents to get vaccinated or a booster shot as soon as possible.

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MENTOR, OH — The omicron coronavirus variant is stirring new fears nationwide and health officials want Ohioans to get vaccinated, or their vaccine booster, as soon as possible.

The omicron variant has already led some nations to close their borders to prevent further spread. The World Health Organization warned in a technical paper the global risk is "very high" and the mutated cornavirus could lead to surges with "severe consequences." That said, it's not yet clear if the omicron variant is more contagious or deadlier than other variants.

The Ohio Department of Health is monitoring the variant and its threat, a spokesperson told Patch. The variant has not yet been detected in the Buckeye State or in the U.S., but it has been found in Canada. President Joe Biden and health officials have urged Americans to get vaccinated to protect themselves against omicron.

Find out what's happening in Mentorfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Here are the locations near Mentor that provide vaccines and boosters:

  • Discount Drug Mart, 8500 Mentor Ave.
  • Giant Eagle Pharmacy, 8383 Tyler Blvd.
  • Mentor-on-the-Lake Giant Eagle, 6079 Andrews Rd.
  • Lake County General Health District, 5966 Heisley Rd.
  • LakeHealth Brunner Sanden Deitrick Wellness Campus, 8655 Market St.
  • Marc's Pharmacy Mentor, 7353 Mentor Ave.
  • Mentor Meijer, 9200 Mentor Ave.
  • Rite Aid, 7796 Munson Rd.
  • Sam's Club Pharmacy, 5600 Emerald Ct.
  • Walgreens Pharmacy, 9400 Mentor Ave.

It's not yet clear if the variant spreads more easily among people than the highly transmissible delta variant that caused a resurgence of COVID-19 cases earlier this year or if there are simply more people in countries with low vaccination rates who are getting sick with COVID-19, regardless of the variant.

Find out what's happening in Mentorfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Early evidence suggests the variant does more easily lead to reinfections in people who have previously had COVID-19.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States' top infectious disease expert, believes the variant's arrival in America is "inevitable." However, Biden is pushing more Americans to get vaccinated rather than additional shutdowns or restrictions being implemented.

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