What we still dont know about Ohios coronavirus vaccination effort – cleveland.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Gov. Mike DeWine finally provided some answers this week about how the next group of Ohioans would get the coronavirus vaccine. But questions remain.

Many questions, in fact. Like how, specifically, the state is working with doctors offices and who is handling vaccines for school workers, to name just a couple.

Readers have shared a lot of their questions with cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, and they helped us come up with a hefty list. Answers to these queries will give the public a picture of what the vaccine effort will look like in coming weeks and months.

We sent a dozen of them to spokespeople for the Ohio Department of Health and DeWine on Friday afternoon. We hope to get them answered next week.

-Are county emergency management agencies adequately equipped and funded to do what they are being asked to do? If not, will that be up to the counties to remedy?

-How will the state work with doctors offices to ensure they have enough appointments lined up in advance, so that when they get a shipment theyll be able to use it within five days, since they wont have the freezers needed to keep the vaccine at required temperatures?

-What communication has been made to physicians, or groups representing physicians, to explain how they can participate? When did that communication go out?

-How will hospitals, doctors offices, health departments and others coordinate to make sure someone isnt getting vaccinated multiple times? Will there be some type of database?

-What is the role of hospitals that the state envisions for the vaccination program?

- How has information about vaccinating adult staffs in schools been communicated to school districts? And when?

- Who will handle the school vaccinations? Will vaccinations be provided to school districts to handle on their own? What are the logistics, given the temperature requirements for the vaccines?

-If someone receives one vaccine dose and contracts COVID, will they be disqualified from receiving the second dose? What if someone is still ill when theyre supposed to show up for their second dose?

-Since the vaccines have different rates of efficacy and some require two doses and others (such as the yet-to-be approved Johnson and Johnson vaccine) will only require one dose, can we pick which vaccine we get?

-Will you provide a list of conditions for people in the severe degenerative and developmental group that would make them eligible starting on Jan. 25? Also, how are they going to prove that they have these conditions?

-Many readers are interested in getting those vaccines that were not administered due to prioritized people declining or missing their scheduled appointment. Will there be a daily list of where people can go to ensure shots dont spoil and we continue vaccinating the population?

- Can nurses, other medical professionals or other people volunteer to help with the vaccine distribution?

In Ohio, vaccinations are being completed for the 1A group, which is health care workers and nursing and other congregate home residents.

DeWine on Thursday announced some details about the next group, 1B, which will include 2.2 million older Ohioans, K-12 school staff and people with severe congenital, developmental, other disorders. That group will begin the week of Jan. 19, starting with the oldest people. They will receive their shots from physicians, local health departments, hospitals, federally qualified health centers, retail pharmacies and in-home health service providers.

Some of these providers will require pre-registration for people to get the shot. Others will offer drive-through vaccine clinics. Local emergency management agencies are expected to have press conferences next week to provide more details to residents in each Ohio county.

Meanwhile, there are still more questions to answer. Here are some that were researching:

- How much will vaccinations cost the average person with and without insurance, as well as people on government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid? How much will co-pays cost?

-Can employers mandate workers be vaccinated? And what proof will be required will there be some sort of database, a wallet card or a smartphone app that people can show to confirm theyve received both doses?

-Whats in each vaccine? Where can people go to learn about potential allergies? If someone is allergic to the ingredients in one of the vaccines, can they request to get the other? Has anyone been hospitalized as a result of a COVID-19 allergy?

- How long will it take before the states population is vaccinated? Whats the estimated timeframe until general public can get it?

- Weve seen different percentages from experts of the population that needs to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity from 70% to 94%. What is the percent Ohio is aiming for? And when this is achieved, can we finally quit wearing masks, socially distancing and other measures?

-As the vaccine is opened up to more and more groups, were hearing from some people under age 65 who say they have medical conditions such as diabetes or are dialysis patients that they think should allow them to be placed at the front of the line. Will this be possible?

-Can people in the younger age groups of 1B such as people age 65 with co-morbidities get the vaccine before others in their age group?

-What if you live in Ohio but arent a resident? What sort of documentation do you need? Were thinking of college students, anyone who has recently moved, etc.

-One reader writes: When will college students going out on clinical rotations be able to get the vaccine? Were not a priority demographic age wise, nor are we health care workers, but we will be in health care settings very soon.

- How long is the vaccine expected to be effective for? Will we need to be revaccinated at some time?

-When are home health aides going to get vaccinated?

-Are the manufacturers, doctors, nurses and their respective facilities responsible for any harm, injury or death to anyone?

Well post answers to these questions when we get them.

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What we still dont know about Ohios coronavirus vaccination effort - cleveland.com