Vaccines locally are being distributed as soon as they are received, said Dr. Roberto Colón of Premier Health, which operates Atrium Medical Center in Middletown.
“Everybody wishes there was more vaccine around and ways of getting everybody taken care of immediately, but one of the things we all have to deal with is that this is a brand new process,” said Colón, system vice president of Quality and Safety and chief medical officer and vice president of operations at Miami Valley. “There are still opportunities to continue to get better as we move through every week, particularly as we anticipate someone down the line having a better supply of vaccine rolling in.”
Each week, more of the state’s older population will become eligible to receive the vaccination, and that doesn’t limit anyone in previous phases from getting the shot at their convenience.
More than three-quarters of a million Ohioans have started the two-shot vaccination process, which represents about 6.5 percent of the state’s 11.7 million population, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
In Butler and Warren counties, more than 34,000 doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine have been distributed since mid-December. More than 5 percent of Butler County and more than 6 percent of Warren County has been inoculated with the first of the two-dose shots as of Friday, according to the state health department.
The two approved vaccines, from Pfizer and Moderna, require two doses for full COVID-19 vaccination. A third vaccine, from Johnson and Johnson, is seeking FDA emergency use authorization this month for its one-shot version of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Though vaccines can be distributed to more Ohioans this week, people must not abandon safety protocols and recommendations yet, said Christa Hyson, spokeswoman for The Health Collaborative, a regional nonprofit health and healthcare improvement organization based in Cincinnati.
“While the vaccine should protect you from becoming sick with COVID-19, not enough is known about whether or not you can still carry the virus and spread it to others,” she said. “At this time, those who get the vaccine should continue to wear masks and practice social distancing.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House’s chief medical advisor, told NPR on Thursday he believes it could be April when the public does not have to be in a priority group to seek out the vaccine. But herd immunity would be a few months later, at the earliest.
“(It’s) very likely by the end of the summer, in the early fall,” said Fauci. “And that would be about 70% to 85% of the population vaccinated.”
Though officially schools are to have their staff inoculated beginning this week, the Middletown City Schools began last week as one of the first in the state. Ohio’s four-week rollout to inoculated the 91,000 school personnel in Ohio eligible to begin receiving vaccine starts this week. Nearly all of Butler County’s schools, including Lakota, Fairfield and Madison, are eligible. The remaining few will be eligible next week.
Districts are following the state’s defined process to partner with schools.
How to sign up in Butler County
Butler County General Health District: Vaccination survey can be found at: www.bchealth.us. The district’s phone number is 513-863-1770, and officials ask people to not submit the survey or call more than once.
Middletown Health Department: Registration for the vaccine is now open on covid.cityofmiddletown.org.
Hamilton Health Department: Residents must have a scheduled appointment. Registration on the day of is not possible at this time. Those eligible for distribution in Phase 1B should fill out the vaccination form on the city’s website: www.hamilton-oh.gov. Those who qualify will be contacted when vaccines for their age group are available.
Phase 1B for coronavirus vaccinations
- This week: Begin those 70 years and older and employees of K-12 schools who wish to remain or return to in-person or hybrid models. All others in previous phases still able to take the vaccine.
- Week of Feb. 8: Begin those 65 years and older.
* Disorders list includes cerebral palsy, spina bifida, congenital heart disease, Type 1 diabetes, epilepsy, Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Turner syndrome, severe lung disease, cystic fibrosis, severe asthma, sickle cell anemia and alpha and beta thalassemia.
Source: Ohio Department of Health
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