CINCINNATI – Jill Threm felt he won the lottery Thursday.
That was when she and other Ohio citizens aged 50 and over became eligible to register for a COVID-19 vaccination. She was lucky and was able to secure an appointment quickly, despite fierce competition for limited supplies.
“I’m still a little shaky because I was so excited,” she told WCPO.
But vacancies fill quickly, especially on a day when about 1.4 million Ohio residents became eligible for the vaccine, bringing the total number of people who can register across the state to about 2.2 million. .
In addition to people over 50, Governor Mike DeWine has ordered that several other essential workers and high-risk populations may also apply for an appointment. The state this week launched an online tool to determine whether a person is eligible.
Each week, Ohio distributes about 500,000 doses of vaccines to public and private health clinics and pharmacies across the state, according to epidemiologist Stephanie Courtney of the Cincinnati Department of Health.
She said on Thursday that it is probably too late to make an appointment this week, but the Ohio Department of Health is planning to administer about 10,000 doses at the Cintas Center next week.
The new level of eligibility added about 2.2 million Ohioans to the list, Courtney said, and each provider may have its own specific criteria.
“Some are going to vaccinate people who live anywhere in the state of Ohio; some will vaccinate anyone who works in Ohio, even if you live outside the state, ”said Courtney.
The Cincinnati health department was limiting its distribution to people who lived or worked in the city, but relaxed the rule on Thursday to include anyone who lives or works in Hamilton County.
The Cincinnati Department of Health is using the Armor Vaxx app, where eligible county workers and residents can register and receive notification when inquiries are opened in their area.
The app will also notify users when a vaccination spot pops up that day.
Apple users can download the app here. Android users can here.
Courtney added that other counties in Ohio are helping as long as the patient lives in the state.
Courtney recommends trying the following steps when trying to make an appointment:
- Call your doctor or pharmacy directly to see if they have consultations available
- Sign up through Kroger
- Register through your local or municipal health department
Courtney also gave a privileged tip to Hamilton County staff: every Wednesday, the Cincinnati Department of Health finds out how many doses it will receive from the state. She said this means that these days there are usually more open consultations.
The Cincinnati Department of Health can be reached at 513-352-2927.