COLUMBUS, Ohio — The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were distributed in Ohio Monday, with more coming to Lucas County on Tuesday.
A shipment from Pfizer arrived at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and Cincinnati's UC Health Monday morning.
"This is an historic occasion. This is hope. This is the beginning of the end of the pandemic." In a tweet, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said, "These safe and effective vaccines are a crucial step on our path back to normal.
Both the Wexner Medical Center and UC Health received 975 doses each of the new vaccine, which are set to be distributed to frontline workers who care for COVID-19 patients.
DeWine said Monday, that eight other Ohio hospitals will receive 975 doses Tuesday, including Mercy St. Vincent Hospital in Lucas County. These hospitals were selected based on geography, population and access to ultracold storage capacity.
Next week, should Moderna's vaccine candidate be approved, DeWine said COVID-19 vaccines will go to many other hospitals throughout the state.
As more COVID-19 vaccines continue to come into Ohio, DeWine said that Cardinal Health’s OptiFreight Logistics business will work with the Ohio National Guard and the Ohio Department of Health to help provide the state with same-day delivery services. Once the vaccine is widely available, the partnership is expected to enable shipments to approximately 350 locations across the state.
Dr. Mercy Dickson with the Wexner Medical Center, one of the first vaccine recipients Monday, called the process "painless."
DeWine noted that while the vaccine is in the beginning stages of distribution, it will take some time for everyone to get access to it. He encouraged Ohioans to continue following the state's Stay Safe Ohio Protocol for the next three weeks in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 until more people can get the vaccine.
NURSING HOMES
Ohio is set to participate in an early scaled launch of vaccinations in nursing homes, alongside the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The state will begin vaccination in five to 10 nursing homes starting Friday, Dec. 18.
DeWine said his team is working out the specifics of which nursing homes will get doses and when, calling it all a matter of scheduling.
VACCINE DASHBOARD
Over the next few days, DeWine said his team would be unveiling a COVID-19 vaccine dashboard.
The governor explained that this dashboard will show Ohioans the number of people vaccinated in the state, and help them sort the information by demographic data and county.
KEY INDICATORS
On Monday, the Ohio Department of Health reported:
- 7,875 new cases compared to the 21-day average of 9,871
- 59 new deaths compared to the 21-day average of 73
- 291 new hospitalizations compared to the 21-day average of 360
- 38 new ICU admissions compared to the 21-day average of 36
DeWine said that on Monday, there were 5,157 COVID-19 patients in Ohio hospitals, with 1,225 of them in the ICU and 827 on ventilators. One month ago, there were just 360 patients on a ventilator.
CASES PER 100,000 PEOPLE
Four northwest Ohio counties were in the top 20 on the state's list of counties with the most cases per 100,000 people to the list, includingWyandot, Sandusky, Williams and Erie counties. All four of those counties were reported to have more than 10 times the CDC threshold of high incidence, which is listed as 100 cases per 100,000 people.