COVID-19 Vaccinations Available To Ohioans Aged 80+ Next Week

Updated: 6:19 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021

So far, 321,516 Ohioans have been vaccinated for COVID-19 – or just under 3 percent of all residents.

Vaccines will be available to those 80 years of age and older beginning Tuesday, Jan. 19. About 800 providers across the state have been selected to be part of the first week of distribution.

At Tuesday’s coronavirus briefing, Gov. Mike DeWine said the state has asked local health departments and emergency management agencies to hold press conferences Wednesday and Thursday to offer information on locations where eligible residents can get vaccinated.

In order to begin vaccinating the public next week, hospitals must finish vaccinating their personnel by midnight on Sunday, Jan. 17, DeWine announced.

“We really need to move and we need to move to this age group,” he said.

About 100,000 doses will be available next week and Ohio’s 80+ population numbers about 420,000, so not all of those eligible will be able to get vaccinated in the first week, DeWine said.

“We knew going into this that at least at the beginning we would have not enough vaccine and this has turned out to be true,” he said, noting that more shipments will come and a third vaccine may soon be approved and available, “but for now, for now, we have a scarcity.”

After next week people in the 80-and-over age group will continue to be eligible for vaccination. The state plans to begin vaccinating those 75 and older starting Jan. 25; 70 and older on Feb. 1; and 65 and older on Feb. 8.

As of Tuesday, Ohio has reported 792,938 cumulative COVID-19 cases and 9,802 deaths.

Daily New Confirmed & Probable COVID-19 Cases In Ohio
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DeWine announced that about 350,000 vaccine doses that were held back by the federal government will now be made available to the state of Ohio as a result of  changes made by the Trump administration.

“We don't know the details. We don't know exactly when that is going to start, but that is good,” he said. “That will mean we will have the ability to not have to have these held back, but put them out into people's arms and start their protection.”

DeWine also signed an order activating 580 members of the Ohio National Guard to be available for use in Washington D.C. and Ohio, saying the state is fully prepared to activate more members of the National Guard if needed.

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