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DES MOINES, Iowa — The usual vendors returned to the Iowa State Fair in 2021, but one booth is offering something more long-lasting than a corn dog.

Hy-Vee is offering COVID-19 vaccinations on the fairgrounds for anyone interested in the shot.

“We have been on the frontlines of the vaccine rollout since late 2020 when we vaccinated healthcare workers,” said Hy-Vee assistant vice president of communications Christina Gayman. “To be able to offer this in a convenient way for anyone at the fair who is eligible is a great opportunity.”

Hy-Vee offers both the Pfizer and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on the fairgrounds. Gayman reports about a hundred people have been vaccinated at the fair so far, and the surge of the delta variant is the driving force behind the inoculations.

“Kids are going back to school and people are more concerned about COVID with the new variant,” Gayman said. “They know someone who had COVID. They want to protect their grandparents or their kids. It means a lot to them, so it means a lot to us.”

Saturday’s crowd at the Hy-Vee trailer included a sizable portion of people newly eligible for a third shot of the Pfizer vaccine.

“A third to a quarter of who we vaccinated today were third doses of Pfizer,” Gayman said.

Hy-Vee will set up shop near the Grand Avenue gate every day of the State Fair from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.