Ohio To Get 1st Coronavirus Vaccine Batches In December: Governor

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio should receive its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines on approximately Dec. 15, Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday.

"My understanding is the first batch will come in at 30,000 [vaccines]," DeWine said. Batches would then roll in every week, the governor said. He said the initial shipment of 30,000 would be inadequate to vaccinate Ohio's caregivers and first responders.

The Pfizer vaccine is expected to arrive first, followed by the Moderna vaccine. DeWine said Ohioans will need to get two shots for the vaccine to be effective, with one shot and a second shot coming weeks later.

The news of the vaccine's shipment to Ohio comes as the state battles its worst COVID-19 surge since the pandemic began. More than 4,400 Ohioans are currently hospitalized because of the virus, DeWine, and medical facilities are straining to care for the influx of patients.

In late October, Ohio officials released their initial plans for distributing COVID-19 vaccines. Since vaccine quantities are likely to be limited in the early going, Ohio will implement a phased distribution plan. The first groups to receive the vaccine will be high-risk health care workers and first responders.

"We'll start and go as fast as we can," the governor said.

DeWine said the rest of the vaccine distribution plan may be refined but the bones will remain effectively the same. According to the plan, the next groups to receive the vaccine, in order are:

• Older adults in congregate or overcrowded settings (Phase 1B)
• People at higher risk due to comorbid or underlying conditions (1B)

In phase two, the following groups will receive the vaccine:

• Critical risk workers essential to society (e.g., health care and public health operations and human services operations) and at high risk of exposure
• Teachers and school staff
• People of all ages with comorbid and underlying conditions
• All older adults not included in Phase 1
• People in homeless shelters
• People in group homes for individuals with physical or mental disabilities or in recovery
• People and staff in prisons, jails, detention centers

In phase three, the following groups will receive the vaccine:

• Young adults
• Children
• Workers in industries and occupations important to the functioning of society and at increased risk of exposure and not included in phases 1 and 2

Finally, in phase four, the following groups will receive the vaccine:

• Everyone else residing in Ohio who did not have access to the vaccine in previous phases.

If Ohio receives less vaccines than it is currently projecting, health officials may further hone in on specific groups and divvy up the phase one recipients.

According to the state's COVID-19 vaccine plan, officials will be communicating with early recipients to ensure their address is on file, distribution channels are functioning and to review any potential barriers in the vaccine process.