Coronavirus: Clark County scheduling vaccine appointments for 60-plus, childcare workers, more

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

The Clark County Combined Health District is now scheduling appointments for those who qualify for the next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations, which includes those over 60 and older.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Monday that Ohioans ages 60 and older, those working in childcare, funeral services, law enforcement and corrections officers will be eligible under Phase 1c, as well as people with type 1 diabetes, pregnant people, bone marrow transplant recipients and people with ALS.

All those who are eligible can begin receiving the vaccine starting on Thursday.

The health district holds vaccination clinics each week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and is currently scheduling those newly eligible for Thursday’s clinic.

As of Monday afternoon, the health district had roughly 2,000 vaccine appointments still available for this week, as both Clark County and Ohio are slated to receive their largest shipments of vaccine yet this week.

Ohio is scheduled to receive 448,390 doses in the next few days, the most the state has ever received in a week. Of those vaccines, 96,100 are from Johnson & Johnson, which was approved for use over the weekend. Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is one dose, not two.

Clark County will receive roughly 3,510 doses this week — the largest amount allotted to date. The county will continue to schedule appointments until the county runs out of doses, CCCHD communications coordinator Kyle Trout said.

But if the county doesn’t fill all this week’s appointments, the county does have the capabilities to store leftovers vaccines at a “safe temperature,” Trout said.

“We will keep them, continue scheduling appointments and get them in arms,” Trout said. “None of them will go to waste.”

In addition to those newly eligible, those with a qualifying health condition can also schedule an appointment.

Qualifying health conditions include: cerebral palsy, spina bifida, inherited metabolic disorder including phenylketonuria, severe neurological disorders including epilepsy, hydrocephaly and microcephaly, severe genetic disorders including Down Syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Turner syndrome and muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, alpha and beta thalassemia, solid organ transplants, severe congenital heart disease requiring hospitalizations within the past year, severe type 1 diabetes requiring hospitalizations within the past year, severe lung disease including asthma requiring hospitalizations within the past year.

Those who were eligible for vaccination in phase 1a, including non-hospital affiliated healthcare workers and congregate care residents and staff, nursing home or assisted living facilities not enrolled in the federal long-term care pharmacy program are able to schedule appointments.

To schedule a vaccine appointment, residents can contact the health district at 937-717-2439 or schedule online at ccchd.com.

Clark County had 12,246 cases and 336 total deaths of the coronavirus as of Monday, according to ODH. As of Monday, Clark County had given 22,148 vaccination shots, according to the Ohio Department of Health. That’s about 16.52% of the population.

Fewer than 2,000 cases of coronavirus were reported in Ohio for the fourth consecutive day on Monday, according to ODH.

The state recorded 1,452 daily cases, the second-fewest number of cases reported this year in Ohio. Sunday marked the fewest number of daily cases at 1,268. In the last week, Ohio exceeded 2,000 daily cases twice.

The state added 103 hospitalizations on Monday, bringing its total to 50,382. ICU admissions increased by 14 for a total of 7,148.

Ohio reported 49 deaths on Monday, for a total of 17,346 throughout the pandemic.


Facts & Figures:

60 years old: Those now able to begin scheduling COVID-19 vaccine appointments, according to Gov. Mike DeWine’s new eligibility rules

2,000: Roughly the number of doses of COVID-19 vaccine available in Clark County for this week, as of Monday afternoon

3,510: Number of COVID-19 vaccine doses Clark County is expected to receive this week

22,148: Total number of COVID-19 vaccine shots given in Clark County, as of Monday

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