As COVID-19 vaccine availability expands, so does the pool of eligible Ohioans
CEDARVILLE — If you’re eligible for the coronavirus vaccine but haven’t yet been able to set your appointment, Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday now may be the right time.
With a new influx of coronavirus vaccine doses expected to soon arrive in the state, the state is expanding vaccine eligibility to those age 60 and older and others with serious medical conditions, the governor announced during a Monday briefing on the state’s coronavirus response.
“We think this is the time to do this, because of the great increase in the amount of the vaccine coming into the state of Ohio,” he told reporters.
The state has also brought nearly 500 new vaccine providers online since the vaccine became available, for a total of more than 1,200. They include local health departments, hospitals, federally qualified health centers and independent and chain pharmacies.
Those providers, previously forced to await their weekly allocations of the scarce vaccine supply, are now able to schedule vaccination appointments up to three weeks in advance — currently the week of March 15 — which should make finding a date easier for the public, the governor added.
“Once the providers get that moving in the next few days, I think it’s going to give people more confidence they have a spot, they have a vaccine time and they have a date,” DeWine said.
As of Monday morning, about 20 providers within 10 miles of Youngstown reportedly had available doses of the vaccine, DeWine said Monday.
Mahoning County Public Health, however, is still not accepting pre-registrations for appointments after closing them last month due to “overwhelming demand.” Other private providers surveyed by Mahoning Matters following DeWine’s Monday afternoon announcement either had no open appointment slots or available doses.
DeWine said the major private vaccine providers — which in the Mahoning Valley include CVS, Discount Drug Mart, Giant Eagle, Marc’s, Rite Aid and Walgreens — are expected to have updated their online registration portals by Thursday morning, when the new vaccination schedules are set to begin.
“They better be ready. We told them that,” DeWine said.
The upcoming Phase 2 and Phase 1C vaccination schedules make a little more than 900,000 Ohioans eligible for the vaccine, the largest-such group to be added to the eligibility pool since phased vaccinations began in the state.
Phase 2 opens vaccine eligibility to the about 695,000 Ohioans who are aged 60 and older.
Phase 1C includes about 246,000 Ohioans: those with Type 1 diabetes; pregnant women; those who have had bone marrow transplants; and those working in certain occupations such as childcare services, funeral services as well as law enforcement or corrections officers.
Below is more information on the occupations eligible for Phase 1C vaccinations. To view a full-size version, click the icon in the upper-right:
Following the recent federal approval of Johnson and Johnson's coronavirus vaccine, the state is expecting 96,100 doses from that company this week, DeWine said.
Combined with the Pfizer- and Moderna-produced vaccines, that makes nearly 450,000 doses expected for Ohio — "by far more doses than we've received in any other week. We're very excited about this," the governor said.
DeWine, when asked Monday whether he’s concerned the newly eligible group may crowd out other elder Ohioans who still haven’t successfully registered or scheduled an appointment, said vaccine priorities are a “constant balance.”
“We know time is of the essence,” he said.
Ohioans who are struggling with online vaccination registration portals or who don't have internet access are urged to call their local health department, the 2-1-1 help line or their local area agency on aging. In the Valley, that's Direction Home of Eastern Ohio, which can be reached at 800-686-7367.
Click here for our list of frequently asked questions on the coronavirus vaccine.
Other news
• According to the latest figures Monday from the Ohio Department of Health, the state is reporting 968,874 confirmed or suspected cases of the coronavirus. There have been 19,444 confirmed or suspected cases in Mahoning County; 14,315 in Trumbull County; and 8,120 in Columbiana County.
• Statewide, there have been 17,346 confirmed or suspected COVID-19 deaths, including 544 in Mahoning County; 465 in Trumbull; and 183 in Columbiana. Mahoning County’s 544 reported COVID-19 deaths on Monday was eighth among Ohio’s 88 counties; Cuyahoga County had the most with 1,750.
• In nearby counties: Stark, 29,356 cases and 843 deaths; Portage, 11,008 cases and 160 deaths; and Ashtabula, 5,959 cases and 147 deaths.
• Youngstown State University reported 16 new coronavirus cases on Monday. Of the new cases, 11 were reported by students who live off-campus, two cases were reported by students living on-campus and three cases were reported by employees. YSU has reported 560 cases from Aug. 1, 2020 through Feb. 27.
• According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health on Monday, there were 933,270 COVID-19 cases in the state which have led to 24,026 deaths. The state said the recovery rate is 91 percent. There have been 8.050 confirmed or suspected cases in Mercer County and 240 deaths; 6,038 cases in Lawrence County and 183 deaths. In Mercer County, 12,669 people have received the first of two vaccination doses and 8,196 have received both; in Lawrence County, 7,654 have received one dose; 4,477 have received both.
• Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf rescinded some of his social distancing orders on Monday, including rules about out-of-state travel and capacity limits for public events. Citing a downward trend in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the administration said residents leaving the state no longer are required provide proof of a test negative upon return or quarantine for 14 days. Indoor and outdoor event capacity limits have been raised to 15 percent and 20 percent, respectively.
This story was originally published March 2, 2021 at 3:52 AM with the headline "As COVID-19 vaccine availability expands, so does the pool of eligible Ohioans."