Can another vaccine logjam be avoided?

COLUMBUS — As Gov. Mike DeWine adds 941,000 new Ohioans eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, he is taking steps designed to avoid another logjam in the rush to get vaccination appointments, similar to problems that other groups have experienced.

Some people age 65 and above reported working for days and days on-line and on the phone trying to get an appointment.

DeWine announced Monday that he is lowering the age limit for the vaccine from 65 to 60 years old. Also some medical conditions are being added to the list, including type one diabetes, pregnancy and people living with ALS. Finally, first responders, child care workers and funeral home workers all became eligible to get in line for the vaccine.

How could DeWine avoid long waits for the vaccine? He said, for starters, vaccine shipments to the state are increasing. The new Johnson and Johnson vaccine will produce an additional 96,100 doses for Ohio in the coming week. That, coupled with doses from Pfizer and Moderna, will mean Ohio will be receiving over 400,000 a week.

According to DeWine additional vaccination clinic locations are being added. The number now stands at 1,200 sites around the state, up from 500 a month ago, and more large-scale delivery locations are coming in the near future. Finally, DeWine is still promising a state web site that combines a search function and appointment function that includes all providers in the state.

“We know that this is a race against time. We know there is a great potential out there that this virus may get a lot more contagious very quickly, by some estimates, by the end of the month of March. So every single day that goes by it is imperative that we get as many shots in people’s arms as we can,” DeWine said.

DeWine said he kept the age range at 65 and above for nearly a month. Just recently he saw that supply was starting to catch up with demand and now believes it is time to move again to add more people to the line for the vaccine. “We have to expand that group of people who are eligible to make sure that all of that vaccine gets taken up after it comes into the state of Ohio,” DeWine said.

The state is approaching the one year anniversary of the Governor’s first health emergency order linked to COVID-19. It came March 3, 2020 when he banned fans from attending the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus. DeWine is expected to talk about that decision and many other moves by the state over the last 12 months, including shutdowns, bans, business restrictions and more, at his next briefing on Thursday.

Cox Media Group