The daily weekday media advisory, published on December 16, was released one day after the first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Muskingum County. The advisory included the following safety message from safety officer, Jack Butterfield, MD.
COVID-19 vaccinations have begun in Ohio in a phased-in way that will get the vaccine to our most vulnerable, first. In Muskingum County, Genesis HealthCare Systems was one of the hospital systems preselected to receive the initial shipments of the Pfizer vaccine, and they received 975 doses this week with additional doses coming either later this week or next week. These doses are destined to what the National Academy of Medicine has designated as Phase 1a, high-risk healthcare workers and first responders that are employed within the hospital system. We simply must protect those that are taking care of all of us. Over the course of the next few months, the vaccine from both Pfizer and Moderna (scheduled to be evaluated for approval by the FDA this week) will become available to more people. Due to the limited initial supplies, there is a phased-in approach to providing the vaccine so that the most at risk will get the vaccine sooner. Nursing homes that have registered with the Federal Long-Term Care Pharmacy Program will receive their vaccines over the next several weeks from either Walgreen or CVS pharmacies, as these two pharmacies have entered into an agreement with the Federal Government to provide that service.
The Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department anticipates receiving our first shipment of the Moderna vaccine on or about 12/22/2020 and will also be provided in a phased-in approach. However, at this time the exact particulars of who gets the vaccine and in what order have not been released by the Ohio Department of Health. We do know that the health department will be responsible for coordinating the vaccinations of congregate care residents and staff, such as those at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, who are not enrolled in the federal long-term care pharmacy programs or are not registered as providers themselves. This includes people with developmental disabilities and those with mental health disorders, including substance use disorders, who live in group homes, residential facilities, or centers, as well as staff. In addition, the local health department will prioritize vaccinating other healthcare providers who are not being vaccinated by hospitals and health systems and are not enrolled as providers themselves.
What is not yet established is what priority each of these groups will be assigned. However, that prioritization will be established before we receive the vaccines. Finally, vaccines for the general public will be available after the most vulnerable have been offered the vaccine and it has been estimated that this should begin sometime late in the first quarter or during the second quarter of 2021.
