DeWine discusses start of Phase 1B vaccinations

COLUMBUS —Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted on Thursday provided the following updates on Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

PHASE 1B VACCINATIONS 

DeWine highlighted the vaccine distribution timeline for Phase 1B of Ohio’s vaccination program, which is set to begin next week for those ages 80 and up.

Week of Jan. 18: Vaccine providers will begin receiving their first allotment of vaccines for those ages 80 and older. Vaccines will be delivered on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Each provider will begin administering vaccines the day after they receive their shipment. All vaccines must be distributed within seven days.

Week of Jan. 25: Vaccinations are anticipated to begin for those ages 75 and up following the same process. Vaccinations also will be available to those with severe congenital, developmental or early-onset medical disorders. Additional information on how these individuals can choose to receive their vaccines is forthcoming.

Week of Feb. 1: Vaccinations are anticipated to begin for those ages 70 and up following the same process. 

Week of Feb. 8: Vaccinations are anticipated to begin for those ages 65 and up following the same process. 

“When a new age range opens, that does not mean vaccinations will be complete for the previous age range,” DeWine said. “Vaccinating Ohioans in Phase 1B will take a number of weeks given the limited doses available.”

Ohioans aged 80 and up can find additional information about providers administering vaccines by calling their local health department or visiting their local health department website.   

Additionally, the Ohio Department of Health has launched a tool on coronavirus.ohio.gov to assist residents looking for a provider that has been allotted vaccines. The tool will be searchable by zip code or county, but it will not be updated in real-time. It is critical that those eligible to receive a vaccine consult local resources to determine up-to-date vaccine availability.

“Providers throughout the state are developing systems that work best for them in terms of scheduling and administering vaccinations,” DeWine said. “As we continue to rollout additional vaccination groups, we will work with our local partners, and modify the process as needed.”

The Ohio Department of Health is in the process of developing a state vaccination scheduling system. Additional information is forthcoming.

NURSING HOME VACCINATIONS

DeWine announced that Ohio is imminently close to completing the administration of the first round of COVID-19 vaccines in skilled nursing facilities.  

“When we started distributing the vaccine in Ohio, one of our first goals was to vaccinate our most vulnerable in our nursing facilities,” he said. 

Ohio partnered with four pharmacies through the Federal Pharmacy Partnership in distribution of the vaccine to skilled nursing facilities. These facilities are a part of Phase 1A. 

Absolute administered 100% of the first round of COVID-19 vaccines as assigned.

As of Wednesday, CVS had administered 97% of the first round of COVID-19 vaccines at the 478 assigned facilities. It was anticipated CVS would finish the administration of doses this week.  

Pharm Script has completed 61 of 63 assigned facilities, and was expected to complete the administration of doses Thursday.  

Walgreens completed 95% of the first round of COVID-19 vaccines at the 398 assigned facilities.  

Within the Federal Pharmacy Partnership, Ohio, with 3.6% of the U.S population, has administered more than 8% of the vaccines in this program nationwide. This is above the anticipated pace of administering the vaccine. 

OHIO COUNTY COVID DATA

A county-by-county breakdown outlining the presence of COVID-19 in all of Ohio’s 88 counties can be found on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System’s website. All 88 counties have a level of spread that is at least three times more than what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers high incidence. 

DeWine also discussed key measurements regarding incidence cases per 100,000 residents over two weeks, as well as regional COVID-19 ICU utilization. 

“We saw new cases per capita at the statewide level increase since last week, which indicates that COVID-19 continues to spread in both urban and rural communities throughout Ohio,” he said.