Jackie Mayer completes her vaccination

SANDUSKY — Here she is, Miss America, getting her vaccination shot just like 154 million other Americans. Jackie Mayer, Miss America 1963, got her second Pfizer shot Thursday at a clinic at Firelands Regional Medical Center and said she hopes others will follow her example and get vaccinated, too. "I had the first shot and did really well," Mayer said. "We need to have the shot in order to go out without a mask in public. Hopefully, people will see this and come in." Mayer, 78, has been very cautious during the pandemic. She wore two masks for her appointment Thursday. "I have picked up my groceries. I go to my post office at 8:30 in the morning when nobody is there," she said. Socializing with old friends has been by Zoom. The 1960 Sandusky High School graduate and former Miss Vacationland and Miss Ohio was crowned Miss America in September 1962, in a pageant in Atlantic City shown on national television. People back home in Sandusky ran outside and banged pots and pans. Church bells rang in the city, and people drove downtown and "buzzed the ave" to celebrate. But Mayer suffered a severe stroke at age 28 in 1970, spending years in rehab, learning to regain her ability to function. After recovering, she turned the setback into a new career as a motivational speaker. Mayer, a Perkins Township resident, said she hopes to resume speaking to people in person and has other personal reasons for wanting life to return to normal. Her granddaughter is graduating Saturday at the University of Missouri. "I would have loved to have been there," she said. Mayer, wary of medical issues, carefully researched COVID vaccinations before coming in for her first shot. She has an allergy and figured Firelands Regional Medical Center would be the safest place to be if anything went wrong. Firelands has been operating its vaccination clinic just inside the main entrance. On Thursday, Mayer joined other local residents getting their first and second shots at the clinic, which took appointments but also accepted walk-ins. After handing over her vaccination card and completing her paperwork, Mayer rolled up her sleeve and received a shot from Heidi Ohm, an RN at the hospital, and gave the thumbs up to indicate she was fine. On Wednesday, Gov. Mike DeWine announced that any vaccinated Ohioan is eligible to win $1 million in five lottery drawings. "I think it's fantastic he would encourage people," Mayer said. "I'm hoping people just decide to get the vaccination anyway," she said. "I think it's very, very important we just listen to the scientists."