COLUMBUS, Ohio – Governor Mike DeWine announced on Monday that Ohio citizens aged 16 and over will be eligible for coronavirus vaccines a week earlier than expected, if local health departments have extra doses that they would not be able to afford. get rid of it in another way.
DeWine spoke about the new policy in his 2 pm briefing on Monday. He said he made the decision after his weekly discussion with health departments across the state.
DeWine had previously said that the vaccine’s eligibility would expand to 16 years or older starting March 29, with Ohio residents over 40 and qualified health conditions becoming eligible last Friday. But some local health departments, especially in rural areas, are already providing general consultations to help them get rid of surplus vaccines, including for people who do not and do not live in the city. News about the availability of rural vaccines has spread through social networks.
DeWine said he was not changing current eligibility requirements, but giving providers more freedom to use doses of the vaccine that they otherwise would not have been able to.
As of Sunday, nearly 2.8 million Ohioans had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, or about 24% of the state’s adult population.