CINCINNATI – Jill Threm felt she won the lottery on Thursday.
Then she and other Ohioans over the age of 50 became eligible to register for a COVID-19 vaccination. He was lucky and managed to secure a quick meeting, despite fierce competition for the limited offer.
“I’m still a little shaky because I was so excited,” she told WCPO.
But the spots fill up quickly, especially on a day when about 1.4 million Ohioians became eligible for the vaccine, bringing the total number of people who can register statewide to about 2.2 million.
In addition to people over the age of 50, Gov. Mike DeWine ordered a number of other key workers and high-risk populations to sign up for a meeting. This week, the state launched an online tool to determine if a person is eligible.
Every week, Ohio distributes about 500,000 doses of vaccine to private and public health clinics and pharmacies across the country, according to epidemiologist Stephanie Courtney with the Cincinnati Department of Health.
She said Thursday that it is probably too late to take an appointment this week, but the Ohio Department of Health plans to administer about 10,000 doses to the Cintas Center later next week.
The new eligibility level added about 2.2 million Ohioans to the list, Courtney said, and each provider may have its own specific criteria.
“Some will vaccinate people who live anywhere in Ohio; some will vaccinate anyone who works in Ohio, even if you live outside the state,” Courtney said.
The Cincinnati Department of Health limited its distribution to people living or working in the city, but relaxed that rule Thursday to include anyone living or working in Hamilton County.
The Cincinnati Department of Health uses the Armor Vaxx app, where eligible workers and residents in the county can register and receive a notification when appointments open in your area.
The app will also notify users when a pop-up vaccination site will appear that day.
Apple users can download the app here. Android users can do it here.
Courtney added that other counties in Ohio have given a helping hand as long as the patient lives in the state.
Courtney recommends that you try the following steps when booking an appointment:
- Call your doctor or pharmacy directly to see if they have appointments available
- Register through Kroger
- Register through your local or county health department
Courtney also gave advice to people in Hamilton County: Every Wednesday, the Cincinnati Department of Health finds out how many doses it will receive from the state. She said that means that those days I usually see more open meetings.
The Cincinnati Department of Health can be reached by phone at 513-352-2927.