CLEVELAND, Ohio – Mayor Frank Jackson compared the development of his government an coronavirus vaccination program to build a house and design it at the same time.
The state said who should be vaccinated – and in what order – but it was up to the local health departments to decide how it should be done, according to the mayor. And Cleveland is planning a phased rollout, as dictated by the state, using doses as they are made available by the state.
“We are doing our job in a very systematic way,” said the mayor.
Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer interviewed Jackson; Brian Kimball, acting director of public health; and Tracy Martin-Thompson, head of prevention, intervention and opportunity for youth and young adults, to gain a better understanding of the scale of the city’s vaccine program and how it is being implemented.
How many doses of vaccine has the city received so far?
The state has already dispatched a total of 6,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine in three different deliveries. For safety purposes, vaccines are being kept in an undisclosed location.
How many people has the Municipal Health Department vaccinated?
As of Wednesday, the city had vaccinated 1,240 people with the first of the two vaccines. Each person must return in 28 days to get their second chance.
From December 24 to 29, the city vaccinated 660 people. Another 580 shots were fired starting on Wednesday. Another 400 vaccines should be administered by the end of the week.
Who has been vaccinated so far?
Those who received vaccines include EMS rescuers and firefighters, health professionals not employed by hospitals and some nursing and medical students.
Also in the first phase, there are around 2,500 employees and residents of the more than 270 community centers in the city that are not part of federal pharmacy programs. Next will be people aged 65 and over, school officials and people with underlying health problems.
How many city employees were vaccinated?
About 40 percent of the city’s 1,045 first aid and fire departments were vaccinated during the week of December 24 to 29, according to Martin-Thompson. She said it was not clear how many refused to be vaccinated. Some are getting vaccines this week and others may be vaccinated at a later date, she said.
Is the city advising employees to get vaccinated?
Yes, according to Jackson, but getting the vaccine is not a condition of employment.
“Our job is to manage it,” he said. “Their job is to make the choice.”
Jackson said the city is more focused on figuring out how to set up the infrastructure so that the city can vaccinate people according to state guidelines.
Where are the shots being fired?
The city set up a vaccination area in Public hall with about 70 municipal employees and volunteers. As more doses of the vaccine arrive from the state and other phases of the program take action, the city expects open six additional vaccination areas, said Jackson. The likely locations include some of the city’s 22 recreational centers, he said.
The plan is also to equip mobile units that can go to crowded environments, such as senior centers in tall buildings.
“We are building infrastructure, administering the vaccine, but also working with partners who are trying to build collaboration,” said Jackson.
How are appointments scheduled?
The city identifies who is entitled to vaccination during each phase and schedules appointments. One way city officials do is to meet with healthcare professionals and get a list of workers who wish to receive an injection, said Martin-Thompson.
In addition, social workers will be sent to community centers to determine how many residents want vaccines and whether they can go to the vaccination center to receive them or whether a mobile unit should be sent.
Additional aspects of the scheduling process are yet to be be resolved, said Martin-Thompson.
What happens at the vaccination site?
Registrants are screened on arrival at the vaccination center to ensure they meet the eligibility requirements. A medical examination is also performed to check for allergies and other conditions.
The injection is given and the recipient is observed for 15 minutes to check for adverse reactions. The whole process takes about 45 minutes.
Jackson said the team has been very meticulous in administering the vaccine and maintaining proper records.
Are any vaccines discarded?
Do not. If at the end of the day, doses are not used because people don’t keep their commitments, vaccines are given on-site for employees who are part of the group currently qualified to receive them, said Kimball.
Unused doses cannot be returned to refrigerators, and members of the City Council asked last week whether the Department of Health was forced to discard the doses. Jackson said that no vaccine had to be discarded.
How much will the vaccine program cost?
Jackson said the final cost is unknown, “but we know what it is that we will have to bear.”