What Ohio's vaccination expansion means for Hamilton County

This week, the Hamilton County Health Department said it received 16,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and it expects up to 20,000 in the coming weeks.

STARTING FRIDAY--- ONE POINTSIX MILLION MORE PEOPLE AREALLOWED TO GET THE COVID-19VACCINE IN OHIO.GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE ANNOUNCEDTHIS MORNING HE IS EXPANDINGELIGIBILITY TO THOSE 40 AND UP.HE SAYS BY THE END OF MARCH-ALL OHIOANS 16 AND OLDER WILLBE ELIGIBLE.THANK YOU FORJOINING US.I'M CRAIGMCKEE.AND I'M TANYA O'ROURKE.YOU'RE TAKING A LOOK AT OURCOVID TRACKER... AS YOU CANSEE IT BREAKS DOWN VACCINES INTHREE CATEGORIES...VACCINESADMINISTERED... IS THE TOTALNUMBER OF VACCINES GIVEN INOHIO.RIGHT NOW THAT NUMBER ISMORE THAN THREE-POINT-EIGHTMILLION.THE OTHER TWOCATEGORIES ARE... FIRSTDOSE... AND VACCINATED.WITHTHE ELIGIBILITY FOR THECOVID-19 VACCINE -- WE WILLLIKELY SEE THESE NUMBERSCHANGE DRAMATICALLY INT HECOMINGWEEKS.WCPO NINE NEWS REPORTERCOURTNEY FRANCISCO IS LIVE ATTHE HAMILTON COUNTY PUBLICHEALTH BUILDING.WITH THESPECIFICS.

COURTNEY?THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGESTPUBLIC HEALTH PROVIDERS IN OURSTATE SO I CAME HERE TO FINDOUT HOW THE REGION CANVACCINATE EVEN MORE PEOPLEWHEN DEMAND IS ALREADY SO HIGHAND IT CAN BE SO DIFFICULT FORMANY PEOPLE TO GET ANAPPOINTMENT.WE ARE IN THE FINAL STAGES OFTHE COVID 19 VACCINE ROLLOUTIN OHIO.... SOT: HAM CO GREGKESTERMAN 11754 it will take amonth or two to get enoughvaccine out in our communityto get everyone vaccinatedHAMILTON COUNTY HEALTHCOMMISSIONER GREG KESTERMANWATCHED GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE'SANNOUNCEMENT COME DOWN- THATSTARTING FRIDAY- THOSE 40 ANDUP CAN GETTHE VACCINE... ASWELL AS THOSE WITH CHRONICCONDITIONS.

AND MARCH 29TH-EVERYONE 16 AND UP CAN GET IT.sot: dewine:10 whatever ittakes it may be going intocommunities and having noappointments.DEWINE SAYS THISIS HAPPENING BECAUSE THE STATEHAS MORE VACCINES NOW.

THISWEEK HAMILTON COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT SAYS IT RECEIVED 16THOUSAND DOSES NEXT IT EXPECTS20 THOUSAND.sot: dewine we'regetting more vaccine we thinkthat's going to work2:15 we'rethat's going to work.

So,again, it's a tension to makesure how do you make surethere's no vaccine sitingthere unused where it couldsave someone's life and at thesame time though allowingpeople to get in.ONE CAVIAT-16AND 17 YEAR OLDS CAN ONLY USETHE PFIZER VACCINE.

THE FDAHAS NOT APPROVED MODERAN ANDJOHNSON AND JOHNSON FOR THOSEAGES.KESTERMAN SAYS 50PROVIDERS ARE VACCINATINGPATIENTS NOW... AND 50 MOREARE PREPARING TO START TAKINGPATIENTS.SOT:KESTERMAN1900right now we have so muchdemand for vaccine we need toschedule those appointments sowe don't have long lines andhave to turn people away.

Butas we have more diffuclutyfilling appointments I thinkat some point we'll be to thepoint where people can walk upand get vaccinatedI REPORTED LAST WEEK HOW TOGET AN APPOINTMENT.WE WILLPOST THAT UNDER THIS STORYTODAY ON OUR WEBSITE WCPO DOTCOM CLICK ON THIS STORY.