As part of Phase 1A, Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County has been administering vaccines to EMS responders and to residents and staff at long-term care and residential care facilities and group homes as well as school nurses, home health staff and medical staff in a variety of outpatient settings, said Health Commissioner Jeff Cooper during a Thursday afternoon Zoom call with the local media.
Phase 1B focuses on adults 65 and older, Ohioans with severe medical conditions and school workers so children can return to the classroom.
In Montgomery County, there are 97,000 people 65 and older. For adults working in schools, that number is up to 12,000 and Cooper said the health department is working to gather the number of people with eligible medical conditions.
“Obviously, we are going to be in Phase 1A and now Phase 1B for a number of months because of a limited supply of vaccine,” Cooper said.
Phase 1B is scheduled to start the week of Jan. 18 with Ohioans 80 and older.
There are two vaccines available now, from Pfizer and Moderna, and a third vaccine is expected to be available sometime in March, Dr. Michael Dohn, Public Health’s medical director said
In documented cases, almost 41,000 Montgomery County residents have had COVID-19, a little more than 3,500 have been hospitalized and 396 have died since the pandemic began, Cooper said.
“Just because we have a vaccine doesn’t mean we can let up,” he said, in prevention practices such as wearing masks, social distancing, staying home and frequent hand washing.
Also, people will be required to sign up for vaccines, whether it be from Public Health, Premier Health hospitals, Kettering Health Network and pharmacies.
“The reality is we have to go through a registration process because the supplies are so limited,” Cooper said.
When the state delivers vaccines to health departments, hospitals and pharmacies, Cooper said the state requires they begin administering that supply within 24 hours and be finished within seven days.
Following is the rollout schedule for Phase 1B:
- Week of Jan. 18: Age 80 and older
- Week of Jan. 25: Age 75 and older and those with severe medical conditions
- Week of Feb. 1: Age 70 and older and K-12 school staff
- Week of Feb. 8: Age 65 and older
Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County has about 600 doses to distribute and will administer the vaccine starting Wednesday at the Dayton Convention Center, 22 E. Fifth St. Beginning at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Montgomery County residents 80 and older can register at https://www.phdmc.org/vaccine-update or call 937-225-6217.
Kettering Health Network announced that it will open a vaccine clinic at the former Elder-Beerman store at Kettering Town Center at 2050 E. Dorothy Lane. Visit ketteringhealth.org/coronavirus to schedule a required appointment for the vaccine clinic. KHN will distribute all of its 1,575 doses during the following times:
- Tuesday, Jan. 19 and Wednesday, Jan. 20: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thursday, Jan. 21 and Friday, Jan. 22: 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Premier Health has received 1,100 doses. Residents 80 and older can call the hospital system’s central hotline at 937-276-4141 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily to book an appointment.
Community Health Centers of Greater Dayton has been allotted 900 doses. Residents can call central scheduling at 937-461-6869 to make an appointment at one of its six locations.
Five Rivers Health Centers has been allotted 600 doses. It only will distribute the vaccine at this time at its Family Health Center at 2261 Philadelphia Dive in Dayton. Beginning Sunday, patients can sign up for an appointment at fiverivershealthcenter.org.
Residents also can check with retail pharmacies, many of which have been allotted vaccines.
Kroger pharmacies will be administering a limited allotment of vaccines, spokeswoman Erin Rolfes said. Starting Saturday, people can sign up for an appointment at www.kroger.com/ohiocovidvaccine or call 866-211-5620.
Ziks Family Pharmacy at 1130 W. Third St. in Dayton also has a vaccine allotment, owner Nnodum Iheme said. Call 937-225-9350.
About the Author
