Area health departments receive first doses of COVID-19 vaccines; EMS workers a priority

MIAMI VALLEY — At least five area health departments have received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and plan to begin vaccinating EMS workers this week.

Montgomery County received 3,100 doses, Miami County received 400 doses, Preble County received 100 doses, Champaign County received 100 doses and Greene County received 900 doses. All five counties received the Moderna vaccine.

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Greene County was the first to receive their shipment on Monday.

“We’re following the phase 1, 1A which is for frontline healthcare workers and then EMS, EMT,” said Noah Stuby, Deputy Health Commissioner for Greene County Public Health. “That’s our priority group right now. And as we move forward kind of in this phased approach, we’ll just kind of continue to work through the phases.”

Stuby said he believes the county will make it through its first round of doses within the next week.

Montgomery County said it plans to begin giving its doses to both EMS and home care workers beginning Christmas Eve.

“We anticipate using that allotment by early next week and then receiving more shipments. We do not have a date or estimated amount yet for the next shipment,” said Dan Suffoletto, spokesman for Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County.

Miami County was working to create a schedule for EMS workers to begin being vaccinated in that county on Wednesday.

Preble County plans to use its first shipment of doses up by Dec. 29 and will focus on primarily EMS responders, residents and staff of congregate housing with developmental, intellectual and mental disabilities, and other frontline medical staff not covered by the hospital or long term care facility allocations that are have been going directly to those facilities, Health Commissioner Erik Balster said.

Cox Media Group