DeWine outlines vaccination timeline for school districts, teachers

As Ohioans who fall into the state’s Phase 1B group for vaccinations, Gov. Mike DeWine announced a timeline for school staff members to receive vaccinations.

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DeWine said the state remains committed to a goal of having all students in the state in a form of in-person learning by March 1.

School districts are currently in the process of choosing either a retail pharmacy partner or partnership with local health department, to administer vaccines to teachers and staff members of schools. If a retail pharmacy partner is chosen, the state will help secure the contract.

By February 1, staff members will start to receive vaccinations, DeWine said.

Currently, 96% of all public school districts in the state have committed to a March 1 deadline to be at least partially in-person, DeWine said.

Additional announcements made during the briefing:

• While no official order or guidance was given by the governor, DeWine said there could be a slow down in the rate in which the state opens up new age groups for the vaccine. This would be to allow for the supply of the vaccine to catch-up with the demand as new age groups are added to the roll-out on a week-by-week basis.
• DeWine encouraged those who fall within the Phase 1B portion of the vaccine rollout, to look for opportunities to sign up for appointments next week when more doses become available.
• Two Jamestown residents, aged 101 and 98 years old, received their first vaccine doses live during the briefing at Kettering Health’s Jamestown Health Center. The vaccinations come as the state begins to administer the Phase 1B doses to those 80-years-old and older across the state.
• DeWine added that incarcerated Ohioans, if under the Phase 1B plan for vaccine rollout, are eligible for vaccination. He added Ohioans are being looked at as equals in that sense, and people will be afforded the opportunity for a shot, regardless of incarceration status, when its their turn in the distribution order.
• By Tuesday night, all nursing homes in the state will have been visited by the state, with residents and workers receiving their first dose of vaccines. A significant number of nursing homes have also been visited a second time by state health workers for administering second doses of the vaccine.
• Starting next week, Ohioans with severe congenital, developmental, or early-onset medical disorders AND have developmental or intellectual disabilities will be eligible to receive vaccines. Those who qualify for this will hear from their county’s board of developmental disabilities to coordinate appointments.

• DeWine said the state remains committed to completing three goals with the vaccine rollout: Save lives, get kids back in schools, and protect health care workers.
• DeWine said the third goal, protecting health care workers, is almost complete with most hospitals completing vaccinations of front line health care workers.
• Additional vaccinations were administered live during the briefing, including a woman in Wood County inside her home and a 104-year-old man at a center in Athens County.
• Germaine Shelby a corrections officer at the London Correctional Institute died from COVID-19 complications over the weekend, DeWine announced. There was a moment of silence for him and Brandon Stalker, the Toledo police officer shot and killed in the line of duty Monday.

Cox Media Group