The Ohio Department of Health has announced a list of locations where Ohioans can get vaccinated during Phase 1B of vaccine distribution starting next week.
At this time, Ohioans over the age of 80 are the first group eligible for the vaccine. After that, the age for eligibility will lower weekly:
- The week of Jan. 19: Ohioans 80 years of age and older.
- The week of Jan. 25: Ohioans 75 years of age and older; those with severe congenital or developmental disorders.
- The week of Feb. 1: Ohioans 70 years of age and older; employees of K-12 schools that wish to remain or return to in-person or hybrid models.
- The week of Feb. 8: Ohioans 65 years of age and older.
The new website listing vaccine locationswent live Friday morning and breaks down vaccine distribution by health care provider, county and zip code.
As of Saturday, Dec. 16, all vaccination appointments through Kroger are currently booked, according to Kroger's COVID-19 hotline. While Kroger has the most vaccination locations in some counties, it is not the only option for seniors during Phase 1B.
The site lists 42 vaccine locations in Hamilton County, 18 in Butler county, 17 in Clermont County, nine in Warren County and four in Brown County.
According to the website, each provider manages its own schedules and appointments. Health officials said the website is for informational purposes only and is not a place to make appointments. A website for each provider is listed with each vaccine location. Those who qualify should make arrangements to be vaccinated by visiting the provider website or by calling ahead.
“We’re very happy to get started on this very, very vulnerable group,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine during a press conference on Thursday. “We’ve prioritized those individuals who, candidly, are most likely to have a bad outcome” if they become ill.
But vaccines won’t be available for everyonewho technically qualifies. Ohio’s over-80 population includes more than 400,000 people; its over-65 population, plus the K-12 educators who will qualify starting Feb. 1, comprises about 2.2 million. DeWine has said the state receives a shipment of around 100,000 vaccines each week to be divided up between each of the 750 separate providers. Providers can only expect to receive more than a few hundred doses.
According to the website, the list will be updated as more vaccine providers receive shipments.
