GRT
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Does your state have the vaccination schedule on the website of its Department of Health? Here in Ohio, the priority schedule and order of vaccination is spelled out on the Ohio Department of Health website. Right now we are in phase 1A of the vaccination roll out, with health care workers and elderly who live in congregant settings (nursing homes, long term care residences, etc.) and also public safety officers and EMS. In phase 1B, all Ohioans over 65, as well as K-12 employees (staff and teachers) and certain other groups are eligible for the vaccine. The Governor last week announced that they don't have a firm date yet for 1B, but it is anticipated that the vaccine will be available for 1B eligible individuals by the end of this month, if the supply of vaccines arrives according to the allocations and schedule. Beyond phases 1A and 1B, the next phase has not yet been announced, they are still working on phase 1C eligibility.
It seems ridiculous but only an "estimated" timeline is available, and I'm wondering if my elderly mother will have to wait until late spring or summer to get her shot. That seems foolhardy.
An outline of the expected availability is as follows:
- The COVID-19 vaccine will be available in the winter, on a very limited basis, for health care personnel, long-term care facility staff, long-term care residents, and EMS/frontline public health workers.
- The vaccine will become available in late winter, on a limited basis, for first responders, some public facing workers in essential and critical infrastructure, teachers, school staff, child care workers, and individuals at high risk for adverse health consequences.
- The vaccine will become available in the spring, at an increased availability, for all other adults.
- The vaccine will become generally available in the summer for all Kansans, including children.
Meanwhile, it appears that it's more difficult for Kansas to get the vaccine out than it is for other states. Who knows why? It's discouraging when I see other states doing much better.
“You are trying to vaccinate a large number of people in a very short amount of time,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson with the University of Kansas Health System. “We never have this problem with influenza vaccination, with pneumonia vaccination. This is just a unique circumstance.”
Some reports are showing Kansas is far behind other states in getting the first doses of the vaccine rolled out.
According to the report, the state’s been allocated 164,900 shots. So far, 114,850 first doses have been distributed around the state, and only 12,164 shots have been given out.
That means about 10% of the shots that have been distributed, have been given. This is much lower than the state’s neighbors, like Missouri, which, according to the report, have given out about 31% of its distributed shots.