COLUMBUS, Ohio — By the end of the month, Ohio is expected to receive over 650,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna, with the first phase of vaccine distribution going to those who are most vulnerable, most likely to be infected, and most likely to have a negative outcome if they become infected, Gov. Mike DeWine said in a special address on Friday.
DeWine said the first phase of vaccine distribution will go to the following priority groups, but not necessarily in this order:
- Healthcare workers and personnel who are involved in the care of COVID-19 patients
- EMS responders
- Vulnerable individuals who live together in close proximity and those who care for them, including: residents, patients and staff at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, state psychiatric hospitals, group homes, veterans homes
The first shipment of Pfizer vaccines will arrive in Ohio around December 15. Of that shipment, 9,750 doses will go to hospitals, and 88,725 dos
es will go to Walgreens and CVS for distribution to congregate care facilities. DeWine said that while the vaccine will require two doses to be effective, they will not hold these doses back. They intend to give all 98,000 doses of vaccine immediately to 98,000 Ohioans, with the intention of giving those individuals the second doses of the vaccine when they arrive.
On Dec. 22, Ohio is expected to receive 201,000 vaccine doses from Moderna. Those vaccines doses will go to 98 hospitals in the state and 108 health departments. On that same day, a tentative number of 123,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be shipped to Walgreens and CVS for distribution to nursing homes around the states.
A few days later, Ohio is expected to receive another 148,000 doses from Pfizer and 89,000 from Moderna.
A final analysis of Pfizer's vaccine has shown it to be 95% effective in preventing the coronavirus. It requires two shots taken 28 days apart. Moderna's vaccine has been shown to be 94% effective, and like Pfizer's, requires two shots, taken 28 days apart. Both vaccines need to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures before injection.
DeWine emphasized that the vaccine distribution plan is still very much in progress and will continue to be fine-tuned, with the goals of saving lives by covering the state’s most vulnerable populations, slowing the spread of the virus, and protecting healthcare workers and those doing their jobs on the front lines of the disease.
“I think these are the same objectives we have, which the federal government has, and I think it’s a universal objective,” DeWine said.
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