TOLEDO, Ohio —
Lucas County Phase 1B Vaccine Distribution Timeline
Here is the schedule already released by the health department:
- Week of February 15 - Those with severe congenital or early-onset medical disorders are eligible for vaccines
- Week of February 8 - 65 and older are eligible for vaccines (schedule opened on Feb. 4); K-12 school employees
- Week of Feb. 1 - 70 and older are eligible for vaccines
- Week of Jan. 25 - 75 and older are eligible for vaccines; those with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities AND severe congenital or early-onset medical disorders
- Week of Jan. 19 - 80 and older are eligible for vaccines
The health department has this link on its website where people in the appropriate age groups can click to begin the process to obtain a vaccination.
Even if it's not your age group's time, you can go on the health department website - https://lucascountyhealth.com/ - and fill out the initial "I'm interested" questionnaire. You will then be contacted when it comes time for them to sign up for an actual time.
It is important to remember, that pre-registration does not guarantee you a spot. You will still need to register once you qualify.
Answers to common questions:
Guidelines for 1B scheduling are as follows:
1. Appointment is required. You must schedule ahead as no walkups will be available.
2. You must wait until your phase starts, as specified above.
3. You must live or work in Lucas County to qualify for vaccination.
4. You must provide ID. A photo ID or similar document is needed for proof of age.
If you were able to pre-register, you should have received a confirmation e-mail about scheduling an appointment. In order to actually schedule an appointment, go to the TLCHD website here, and click "get an appointment."
Do not call the hospitals directly, scheduling is done through the health dept. website. However, registration through Rams Health Center or Riverside Community Health Center is separate and will require a direct call. Those phone numbers will also be available on the TLCHD website.
Once you are able to schedule an appointment at a Lucas County hospital, you should get a confirmation e-mail with the date, time and exact location for your appointment along with a map. You will also receive an e-mail 72 hours and two hours out, to remind you of your appointment.
About 44,000 people have signed up for the preregistration, with more than 24,000 people falling into the Phase 1B category. Again, this preregistration does not secure a spot for vaccination but helps the county to plan, Zgodzinski said. Even if a person has preregistered with the county, a person still needs to register with the provider to schedule a time for their vaccination.
The providers are:
- Riverside Community Health Center
- Rams Health Center
- Kroger
- Mercy Health (St. Vincent Medical Center, St. Anne Hospital, St. Charles Hospital)
- ProMedica (Bay Park Community Hospital, Flower Hospital, Toledo & Ebeid Children's Hospital)
- University of Toledo Medical Center
- McLaren St. Luke's
Kroger will bring on 12 Lucas County stores next week. Residents are asked to check Kroger's scheduling portal online, or call 866-211-5320 once those appointments are made available.
Help with scheduling
"We're trying to make this as simple as possible for the community. ... We know the internet can be tricky for some people. We've partnered with United Way 211 and Area Office on Aging to help. This includes multilingual support, special assistance and for seniors," Zgodzinski said.
United Way 2-1-1 will assist individuals who have a disability, no access to technology or are experiencing technical issues in completing the health department's online “COVID-19 vaccine pre-registration” form, which notifies submitters of when they can receive a vaccination.
Someone who meets any qualifiers above can dial 2-1-1 to speak with a Community Resource Advisor. You must call during the following times and hours to pre-register:
- Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Saturday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The form itself can be found by visiting LCHD’s website at LucasCountyHealth.com.
The Area Office on Aging also plans to offer transportation to the vaccination sites.
If you have any questions or need help, you can call the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio at 419-382-0624 or visit their website at areaofficeonaging.com.
Zgodzinski said starting next Tuesday, all Toledo Lucas County Public Library branches will have full in-person access available, providing opportunities for members of the community to use the internet for vaccine registration. To schedule an appointment, call 419-259-5200.
"Please, remember to be patient through this process we just launched this here over the last 24 hours, we are working out bugs. Also, understand that the vaccine is limited at this point in time, and we’re going to get out the doses that we have as fast as we can to the public and to these age groups," Zgodzinski said.