TOLEDO, Ohio — There are still many more people in Lucas County wanting a COVID vaccine than available doses.
The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department said Thursday it received 10,000 doses this week -- all of which were Pfizer and Moderna. Health Commissioner Eric Zgodzinski said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is coming on line slowly.
"There's just not enough doses in reserve," Zgodzinski said. "It comes from the federal and state level. We hope to get more next week and I think we'll see a lot more by the end of the month."
Zgodzinski said Phase 1D and 2B eligibility means approximately 156,000 people in Lucas County are now eligible to get vaccinated. However, landing an appointment can still be tricky.
He said a link was opened Wednesday night for a Saturday clinic at the Lucas County Rec Center in Maumee. All appointments were booked before Thursday morning.
"The supply is nowhere near demand at this point," Zgodzinski said. "At [the rec center] we're able to do 20,000 doses a week. Right now we're looking at between 2,000 and 5,000 does as we progress. I would expect us in May to have significant doses."
More appointments will go live online Thursday at 6 p.m.
As of Thursday, 80,270 people started the vaccination process, or about 19 percent of the county population. 48,047 people completed the process, or about 11 percent.
Zgodzinski cautioned residents who plan on visiting bars and restaurants for St. Patrick's Day next week.
"We need to be responsible," he said. "Getting together in large crowds, we could see an issue and see a spike. Wear a mask, stay socially distanced, stay within your bubble. Make sure you're following the guidelines."
Gov. Mike DeWine said last week state COVID restrictions would be removed when Ohio sees two consecutive weeks of 50 or less cases per 100,000 people. Zgodzinski said it's tough to know when that might happen, but said it could occur by May or June.
Zgodzinski touted the community's resiliency one year into the pandemic, and said they played a large role in getting this far. He also said things need to change to make sure some of the early problems experienced nationwide never happen again.
"We can never rely on a foreign country to supply us with things like N95 masks and reagent for test kits," he said. "We have to rethink how we supply those things. That needs to get fixed. We should all be lobbying for that to make sure it never happens again."
Phase 1D and Phase 2B eligibility begins today, meaning those with Type 2 diabetes and end-stage renal disease, as well as those 50 years old and older, will be eligible to receive the vaccine.
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. Appointment sign-ups for next week in the county open up at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
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.