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111-year-old receives IU Health's 100,000th vaccine dose

Bernice Bohannon got a shot in the arm, a cake, and a celebration marking IU Health's 100,000th coronavirus vaccination.

INDIANAPOLIS — IU Health celebrated administering its 100,000th dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, and the recipient of that monumental dose was 111-year-old Bernice Bohannon.  

Bohannon, a former seamstress, was fashioned in a houndstooth jacket and accompanied by her great-nephews Sam Goodloe and Kenneth White as she walked through the glass doors of the IU Health Neuroscience Center building. 

Although it wasn’t her birthday, she was greeted with a cake. On it were the words “100,000 vaccinations.”  

“You’re [receiving] this clinic’s 100,000th vaccine dose,” IU Health spokesperson Jonathan Hosea leaned in and said to Bohannon, who appeared to be smiling behind her mask.  

Credit: WTHR

“Did It hurt the first time?” said Sarah, a nurse who was readying Bohannon’s vaccine dose.  

Bohannon shook her head no.  

After receiving her vaccine, Bohannon said, “it didn’t hurt or nothing.”

Her family had been encouraging her to get vaccinated since about March, said Goodloe.  

“When I went and got my shot, she said 'OK,' so I think I was the convincing piece in the puzzle,” said White.  

Credit: WTHR
IU Health celebrates administering its 100,000th vaccine dose.

Bohannon said she wasn’t worried about receiving the vaccine and decided to because “I didn’t want to get sick.” 

She said others should get vaccinated, too.  

“I want them to come and get their shot, so it’ll help ‘em.”  

She says she doesn’t remember the pandemic of 1918, and as far as she remembers, she’s never seen anything like 2020 or 2021, but with this vaccine, “maybe next year will be better.”

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