TOLEDO, Ohio — A new COVID-19 vaccine appointment scheduling system will debut at midnight Friday and should make it easier to secure a dose.
The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department website will still list available appointments, but Health Commissioner Eric Zgodzinski revealed there will soon be another way. Residents can log onto gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov and see appointments near them on a rolling basis.
This change means you no longer have to wait until Thursdays at 6 p.m. to view and book an appointment. Residents can search for the closest sites within a 20-mile radius.
For those wishing to utilize the Lucas County Recreation Center, Zgodzinski suggested typing in the zip code, which is 43537.
He also stressed the importance of showing up to receive your second dose if you were given the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
"There is not nothing more important than to show up for that second appointment," he said. "That's how we got to the highest immunity in the community and not waste doses. If you're not there for your second dose, it's no longer available."
Next week, all Ohioans 16 and older are eligible to receive the vaccine. Zgodzinski said the average number of doses in the county has been 10,000, but expects 20,000 next week.
The health department received 8,000 doses this week - 5,000 Johnson & Johnson and 3,000 Moderna. The J&J vaccine is becoming more readily available.
"Johnson & Johnson is being released now as a federal asset, so that's why we can get those doses," Zgodzinski said. "We're gong to see more doses released in the next few weeks of the J&J and also Moderna and Pfizer."
The COVID variant first discovered in the United Kingdom was found in Lucas County last week, and Zgodzinski said it is a concern. However all vaccines are believed to be effective against the known variants in the U.S.
He cited research saying there could be as many as 2,000 variants in the world, but not all of them make it to a classification.
"What we're seeing is it can be more infectious," he said. "The severity of symptoms is greater. We hearing it's infecting and giving children symptoms. We need to make sure we keep an eye on those youngsters."
Zgodzinski said the county is not seeing demand slowing down. All appointments at the rec center are booked for this weekend, and he expects that trend to continue for several weeks.
He reminded folks in Lucas County that they can receive free transportation from TARTA to and from their appointment.
Zgodzinski also said Thursday's update is the final weekly news conference. The health department will continue to give them on an as-needed basis.
Many more Ohioans will soon be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, as Gov. Mike DeWine announced last week that availability will be extended to residents ages 16 and older by March 29.
In addition, starting March 19, all Ohioans who are 40 years old or older plus those who have cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, heart disease or are obese became eligible to receive their vaccination appointments.
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.