Tag: COVID-19 vaccine

Level of Community Transmission in Clermont and Warren County moves to “High”

Loveland, Ohio – The tracking system of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now moved Clermont and Warren Counties to the highest level of warning for the transmission of COVID 19.

Hamilton and Butler Counties remain in the “Substantial” range.

“The Delta variant has altered the game plan for COVID-19,” Hamilton County Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman told Loveland Magazine last week. “We know masking works and is yet another layer, in addition to vaccination, to protect all of us from another surge of the virus.”

Vaccination remains the best way to avoid COVID-19 infection.“The vaccines are safe, effective and readily available,” according to Kesterman. “This is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated. If you have questions or concerns about the vaccine, please talk to a trusted health professional for the best information.”

https://lovelandmagazine.com/its-vaccination-info-wednesday/

Aug 7, 2021
Ohio judge adds COVID-19 vaccination as terms of probation

By Jake Zuckerman and Ohio Capital Journal

A Franklin County judge recently began including vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of defendants’ terms of probation.

Common Pleas Judge Richard Frye said Thursday he added the vaccine as a condition on three cases this week of the roughly 20 sentences he imposed.

He said he discussed the matter in open court with the defendants, and they attributed their unvaccinated status to procrastination. None raised any philosophical, medical or religious objection.

Judge Richard Frye

“It occurred to me that at least some of these folks need to be encouraged not to procrastinate,” Frye said in an interview. “I think it’s a reasonable condition when we’re telling people to get employed and be out in the community.”

He declined to “speculate” what would happen if a defendant raised a medical, religious or philosophical exemption to vaccination, but said this is a different situation entirely than people who have simply put the matter off.

An example: a man named Cameron Stringer entered a guilty plea for one charge of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, for which he was sentenced to two years of probation (“community control,” as it’s known in Ohio).

Stringer must submit to random drug screening; avoid further legal trouble; return a firearm in question to its rightful owner; and obtain a COVID-19 vaccine within 30 days and provide proof to the Probation Department, court documents show.

It’s unclear how widespread this judicial practice is. Frye said he didn’t know if any other judges were doing anything similar. A spokesman for the Supreme Court, which oversees lower courts, said he didn’t know of any judges doing anything similar. However, he sent a link to a media report about a judge offering to shorten probation stretches for those who obtain a vaccine.

Gary Daniels, a lobbyist with the ACLU, expressed concern about the practice Thursday, comparing it to Ohio judges who have ordered defendants convicted of crimes not to procreate.

“It doesn’t have any real relationship to community control,” Daniels said of Frye’s practice, in a brief interview.

“At a minimum, it appears to be problematic.”

Frye’s practice comes in a period of stagnation in a vaccination campaign against a disease that has killed more than 600,000 Americans. Despite a skyscraping death and morbidity toll; five $1 million lottery drawings for people who get vaccinated; and more than 6 months of availability, fewer than 48% of Ohioanshave started the vaccination process against COVID-19.

“I just wanted them to be safe in the community,” Frye said.

Jun 26, 2021
DeWine reminds unvaccinated Ohioans to continue wearing masks

Columbus and Loveland, Ohio – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today reminded Ohioans of the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and for those that are not fully-vaccinated to wear masks indoors, as statewide mask mandates lift tomorrow.

“Ohioans have done a great job during the pandemic. And, with more than 5 million Ohioans who have received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, we are getting back to living the lives we want. However, it is important that we all still remember that there are a significant number of Ohioans who remain unvaccinated and are at-risk, including everyone under the age of 12. It’s important that those not fully vaccinated continue to wear masks indoors and follow other preventative measures to keep themselves as healthy as possible,” said Governor Mike DeWine.

More than 5.3 million Ohioans have received their first vaccinations and 4.6 million have completed the vaccination series.

An individual is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines or two weeks after the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

For businesses and organizations looking to update signage in their facilities, appropriate signs are available at coronavirus.ohio.gov.

Ohioans can find the vaccination site nearest them at gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov.

American Flag Over Blue Paper Texture Background

Jun 1, 2021
Receive COVID-19 Vaccine June 1 in Linda Cox Parking lot

No Cost | Walk-ins Accepted | No Insurance Required

Where: Loveland, Ohio

Address: 205 Broadway Street

When: June 1, 2021 from 3-6pm

Open to the public. 18 and older eligible

Questions? Contact us at 513-946-7800

Hosted by Hamilton County Public Health and the Ohio Department of Health

May 24, 2021
With drawing days away, Ohio legislation seeks to stop Vax-A-Million program

By Tyler Buchanan and Ohio Capital Journal

Five Ohioans who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 are about to win $1 million through a new vaccine lottery program, but a Republican lawmaker wants to call the whole thing off.

State Rep. Jena Powell, R-Arcanum, is drafting legislation that would prevent the state from administering any vaccine lottery program.

Hundreds of thousands of Ohioans have already signed up for the Vax-A-Million lottery, which will begin May 26 and include five weekly drawings of $1 million prizes. Participants must be at least 18 years old and have received at least their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

State Rep. Jena Powell, R-Arcanum

There is a separate lottery program for those between the ages of 12 and 17, with the teenage winners receiving a full ride scholarship to any Ohio college or university.

The prize money will come from federal relief funds that have already been allocated to the Ohio Department of Health.

There is some early evidence that vaccinations have ticked upward since that announcement, and two other states have now introduced their own version of a vaccine lottery.

The Vax-A-Million program has received plenty of attention since Gov. Mike DeWine first announced the drawings last week. The reaction from Ohio lawmakers has been universally negative; legislators from both political parties have condemned the idea as an ill-conceived waste of taxpayer money.

“As elected leaders, we’re obligated to take seriously our duty to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes, D-Akron, said in a recent statement. “Using millions of dollars in relief funds in a drawing is a grave misuse of money that could be going to respond to this ongoing crisis. Ohioans deserve better than this. I do hope people continue to get the vaccine and help our state reach herd immunity so our economy and way of life can thrive again.”

State Rep. Haraz Ghanbari, R-Perrysburg, issued a statement calling for “additional accountability” from the Ohio General Assembly regarding the Vax-A-Million program.

Bills normally require a 3-month waiting period until being enacted. Powell’s legislation includes an emergency clause for it to go into effect immediately in order to “prevent the COVID-19 vaccination lottery from taking place.”

Along with prohibiting Vax-A-Million, Powell proposes to redirect the funding used for these drawings toward either children’s mental health initiatives or to small business relief grants.

Gov. Mike DeWine is pictured during a statewide address on the pandemic. He announced a Vax-A-Million vaccine lottery in order to spur Ohioans to get their COVID-19 shots Photo courtesy the Ohio Channel.

The Ohio Capital Journal left a message with Powell’s office seeking more information about the legislation, which has not yet been formally introduced. Given the normal timeframe of the legislative process, the likelihood of this halting the Vax-A-Million drawings appears to be a longshot.

Powell has been among the harshest critics of DeWine’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, repeatedly characterizing his aggressive steps taken to prevent the virus from spreading as curbing Ohioans’ freedoms. She has blasted attempts to mitigate the pandemic, from masks to social distancing, and spent much of 2020 undercutting the state health department’s messaging — even as the virus raged in her native Darke County late last year.

Powell represents Darke and Miami counties in the Ohio House of Representatives’ 80th District. Both counties lag behind the statewide vaccination rate.

As of Friday, nearly 44% of Ohioans had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Just 29% of those in Darke County had received one along with 36% in Miami County, according to Ohio Department of Health (ODH) data.

“Ohioans don’t want giveaways to mask (DeWine’s) horrible policy for the past year,” Powell wrote on Facebook, “they want freedom.”

May 23, 2021
Governor DeWine Announces Vaccine Incentives

In an effort to increase the number of Ohioans who currently have not taken a COVID-19 vaccine to get vaccinated, Governor DeWine announced a series of statewide drawings to help incentivize vaccinations.

Ohioans under the age of 18 who are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine will be entered into a drawing for a four-year full scholarship to any of Ohio’s state colleges and universities, including full tuition, room, and board.

Ohioans aged 18 and older will be entered into a weekly drawing with a prize of up to $1 million.

A total of five weekly drawings for each prize will take place, with the first winners being announced on May 26th. Winners must have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by the date of the respective drawing.

The drawings will be administered by the Ohio Department of Health, with technical assistance from the Ohio Lottery Commission, and will be funded through existing allocations to the Ohio Department of Health of unexpended coronavirus relief funds.

Further details and contest rules will be announced by the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Lottery Commission next week during a briefing to news media.

May 13, 2021
Walmart and Sam’s Club Now Administering Walk-Up COVID-19 Vaccines at 171 Pharmacies Across Ohio
Retailer offering customers and associates access to COVID-19 vaccines

Walmart and Sam’s Club today announced a new COVID-19 vaccine milestone: Immunizations are now available to customers and associates in all of their more than 5,100 pharmacy locations nationwide, across 49 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. This includes the 171 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies in Ohio.

Vaccines are being administered via both walk-up and scheduled appointments, providing convenient options for customers and members to get protected against COVID-19 where they already shop for groceries and health care essentials. Additionally, the company is rolling out new programs to both encourage people to get a vaccine and continue efforts to increase access across the country.

“Now that supply and eligibility have expanded, it’s even more important for us to reach underserved and vulnerable populations to ensure equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Dr. Cheryl Pegus, executive vice president, Health & Wellness. “Widespread vaccination is the only way we will eventually end the pandemic and help our country reopen, and we don’t want anyone to get left behind as we enter this new chapter in our fight against COVID-19.”

Providing Education on Vaccine Effectiveness: Get Out The Vaccine campaign (GOTV)

The company launched a nationwide Get Out The Vaccine (GOTV) campaign to encourage more people to get vaccinated. The GOTV campaign, an extension of the retailer’s role in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program and the existing vaccination program, provides education materials in their stores and clubs about the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccine

As part of the GOTV effort, Walmart is utilizing mobile clinics to bring vaccines directly into select communities via events and gatherings. Most recently, Walmart partnered with the National Hot Rod Association at their Southern Nationals Event in Commerce, Georgia, to offer walk-up vaccinations for race fans, educational resources with background on the safety and efficacy of the vaccines and an official Walmart branded dragster with information on how to schedule a vaccine.

Reaching Into Communities

Walmart and Sam’s Club continue emphasizing vaccine access in locations that reach customers in vulnerable communities. With the expansion of vaccine supply nationwide, there are now nearly 4,000 Walmart and Sam’s Club locations administering the vaccine in locations designated as Medically Underserved Areas by the Health Resources and Services Location (HRSA).

To encourage vaccination in these communities, Walmart and Sam’s Club will continue partnering with national and local non-profits, community partners and faith-based organizations on community vaccine events.

Walk-Ins Welcome

All Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacy locations across Ohio are now accepting walk-in vaccine appointments, as supply allows, in addition to scheduled appointments. Customers who schedule an appointment can complete pre-vaccination paperwork ahead of time, if interested.

Appointments can be made at walmart.com/COVIDvaccine and samsclub.com/covid. Walmart Pharmacies are open seven days a week (Sam’s Club pharmacies are closed on Sunday), and are administering the approved J&J, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Individuals are not required to be a member to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at Sam’s Club.

Encouraging Associates to Get Vaccinated

Walmart and Sam’s Club said they continue to “strongly” encourage, but not mandate, associates to get vaccinated. To help make this process as easy as possible, the retailers are:
- offering appointments to associates in stores and clubs,
- providing two hours paid time to get a vaccination, regardless of where associates get their shots,
- and allowing associates to get the vaccine during their shifts if vaccines are being offered at their location.
Both Walmart and Sam’s Club have also enhanced their COVID-19 emergency leave policy to include three days of paid leave for any vaccine side effects for associates.
May 4, 2021
Ohio on track to meet Biden push to make all adults eligible for COVID-19 vaccines by May 1

By Laura Olson and Ohio Capital Journal

President Joe Biden is directing states to make all adults eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said over the weekend the state is on track to do that or better.

Biden’s COVID-19 advisers are projecting that enough Americans in priority groups will be able to access the vaccine by the end of April to allow for the lifting of restrictions on who can access the vaccine.

Alaska on Tuesday became the first state to open eligibility to anyone age 16 or older.

The announcement came Thursday on the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring the COVID-19 outbreak to be a pandemic.

Earlier on Thursday, Biden signed into law a massive pandemic stimulus bill that includes $20 billion to boost vaccination efforts across the country.

He also announced Wednesday that his administration secured another 100 million of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, after helping to broker a deal in which Johnson & Johnson will team up with drugmaker Merck to produce doses faster.

More than 81 million vaccines have been administered since Biden took office in January. But state officials seeking to get those shots into arms have been hamstrung by too few doses, antiquated technology for coordinating appointments, and the challenge of securing enough manpower and other resources to meet the demand for vaccinations.

The administration has launched federally run vaccination sites across the country, and will more than double the number of federal mass vaccination centers. More than 4,000 active duty troops will deploy to support those vaccination efforts.

The Biden administration also will expand who is qualified to administer shots, adding dentists, advanced and intermediate emergency medical technicians, midwives, optometrists, paramedics, physician assistants, podiatrists, respiratory therapists, and veterinarians.

The Department of Health and Human Services will launch a new website for individuals to check if they are eligible to volunteer to administer shots.

Biden also will seek to make it easier for Americans to find a vaccination appointment, announcing plans to launch a federal website by May 1 that will show nearby locations that have vaccines, as well as a 1-800 number for those who lack internet access.

The administration also says it will deploy technology teams to states that need assistance in improving the websites they’re using to schedule vaccinations.

Mar 15, 2021

Hamilton County reports new developments in the battle against COVID-19

Loveland, Ohio – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the third vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to the Hamilton County Department of Health. The EUA allows the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 Vaccine to be distributed in the U.S for use in individuals 18 years of age and older. The vaccine is administered as a single dose, which will allow vaccination for more people while also providing opportunities for vaccination for groups requiring special consideration, such as the homebound.

Expanded Vaccine Eligibility
In response to this significant increase in the amount of vaccine coming into Ohio, Governor DeWine outlined the individuals who are included in Phase 1C and Phase 2 of Ohio’s vaccination plan which will go into effect on March 4.

Phase 1C:
Ohioans with certain occupations and with certain medical conditions not addressed in previous phases.

Medical Groups Eligible in 1C
Type 1 diabetes, Pregnant women, Bone marrow transplant recipients, and ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)

Occupations Eligible in 1C (see full description in the graphic below)
Childcare Services, Funeral Services, Law Enforcement, and Corrections Officers

Follow the hyperlink to read the full press release from the Ohio Department of Health on the expanded vaccine eligibility criteria

Phase 2:
Because the risk of more severe reactions and outcomes of COVID-19 increase with age, Phase 2 will open vaccinations based on age, beginning with Ohioans ages 60 and older.

IF YOU ARE NEWLY ELIGIBLE PER THE EXPANDED GUIDELINES ABOVE:
The Health Department is asking that you register on their website. They have added these occupations and conditions to the registration that were not previously included.

Click HERE to re-register*

If you already registered and do not have a newly eligible occupation or condition per the above you DO NOT need to re-register.*

Reduced Restrictions
Last week, Governor Mike DeWine announced that sporting and entertainment events will be able to reopen with 25 percent maximum indoor capacity and 30 percent maximum outdoor capacity, provided they follow established precautions such as mandatory mask wearing for employees and customers, spectator pathways that allow for social distancing, and seating in groups in six-foot intervals of no more than six people from the same household.

General admission (lawns, standing room, infields) will be permitted if masks are worn and if six-foot distancing can be marked and maintained. New guidance for proms, banquets, wedding receptions, fairs, festivals, and parades is forthcoming.

*If you are needing a vaccine appointment please do not unsubscribe. Unsubscribing will disable our ability to contact you for appointments.

VISIT THE HCPH COVID-19 PAGE

Mar 3, 2021

Clermont County residents 80 and older can get vaccine beginning Jan. 18
Loveland, Ohio – Clermont County residents who are 80 years of age and older can get the COVID-19 vaccine beginning Jan. 18 under the next phase of Ohio’s vaccine distribution plan.

Below is the press release just issued by Clermont County Public Health:

Ohio will be distributing 100,000 doses of vaccine statewide beginning Jan. 18. Clermont County vaccine providers will receive 1,900 of those doses. Clermont County Public Health will get 100 doses. The remaining 1800 doses will go to:
- HealthSource of Ohio
- Kroger pharmacies (nine locations)
- Meijer pharmacies (two locations)
- Mercy Health
“We are encouraged to begin protecting our most vulnerable population,” said Health Commissioner Julianne Nesbit. “But, we are urging everyone to show patience as the supply is limited. With only 1900 doses designated for our county next week, we know it will take time until everyone that wants the vaccine can get it.”

How do you get vaccinated if you’re eligible?
- Clermont County Public Health – Visit https://bit.ly/CVD19Vax to be added to the waiting list. Residents without internet can call 513-735-8500.
- HealthSource of Ohio – Register (beginning Jan. 16) online at www.healthsourceofohio.org or call 513-732-5081.
- Kroger pharmacies – Beginning Jan. 16 visit www.kroger.com/ohiocovidvaccine or call the Kroger COVID helpline at 866-211-5320.
- Meijer pharmacies – To register, text COVID to the number 75049 andreceive a link to register. Online registration is also available at https://clinic.meijer.com/. Individuals without internet access or texting capabilities can call the pharmacy.
- Eastgate 513-943-5710
- Miami Township 513-576-5510
Due to the high demand and limited supply of the vaccine and COVID-19 safety protocols, appointments will be required at each location.

Clermont County Public Health has information including a waiting list survey available on its website at http://bit.ly/CVD19Vax. If you or a loved one qualifies, you can fill out the survey, and Public Health will send you more information on how or where to go to get vaccinated. Since Jan. 11, more than 6,000 people have filled out the survey to be added to the waiting list.

“We’re here to support our public health partners however we can,” said Clermont County Emergency Management Agency Director Pam Haverkos. “We are launching a COVID-19 vaccine hotline to assist residents and caregivers who may have limited access to web-based resources. We want to ensure all residents have information on how and where to get registered for the vaccine.”

The COVID-19 vaccine hotline can be reached at 513-735-8500 and is available from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. The hotline will not be operational on Monday, Jan. 18 due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

For more information on how to get vaccinated visit www.ccphohio.org/covid-19-vaccine-info/
Jan 14, 2021