Ohio residents ages 80-years-old and older will be eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccination starting on Tuesday, January 19 as Phase 1B of the Ohio Department of Health’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program begins.
Phase 1B of the vaccination schedule includes Ohio residents who are ages 65 and up, staff members of K-12 schools that will be teaching in person and those with severe congenital, developmental or early onset medical disorders, according to the ODH.
Ohioans ages 80 and older will be eligible to receive the vaccine the week of January 19, followed by those who are 75 and older the week of January 25, those who are 70 and older the week of February 1 and those who are 65 and older the week of February 8. Those with severe congenital or developmental disorders will be eligible the week of January 25 and staff members of K-12 schools will be eligible the week of February 1.
“When a new age range opens, that does not mean vaccinations will be complete for the previous age range,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement last week. “Vaccinating Ohioans in Phase 1B will take a number of weeks given the limited doses available.”
Phase 1B follows Phase 1A, which included health care workers, as well as residents and staff in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, psychiatric hospitals, state-run veterans’ homes and other group homes and residential facilities. It also included EMS responders.
Ohio began distributing vaccines for COVID-19 in mid-December. More than 444,000 people have received at least one of the two required doses as of Monday, according to data from the ODH. There are currently 752 vaccine distribution sites in the state.
“Providers throughout the state are developing systems that work best for them in terms of scheduling and administering vaccinations,” DeWine said. “As we continue to rollout additional vaccination groups, we will work with our local partners, and modify the process as needed.”
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Ohio Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair.
