The first COVID-19 vaccines in Wood County were administered this morning at Wood County Hospital.
Among those first to receive the vaccines were hospital President Stan Korducki, Chief Medical Officer and pediatrician Dr. Michael Lemon, and Nursing Director of the Emergency Department Katie Underwood.
The process for all hospital staff to get the vaccines will begin Wednesday at 6 a.m., and stretch throughout the next week until approximately 700 workers get the first dose of the vaccine.
“Everyone was very excited that they’re able to get it. They are the ones taking care of our community,” Cristy Walton, vice president of development at the hospital, said this morning.
Wood County Hospital received 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine Monday. Those combined with a possible 200 doses from the Wood County Health Department will allow all hospital staff to get the initial dose of vaccine.
The staff will then be scheduled for the necessary second doses 28 days after the first shot.
Wood County Health Department has plans in place for distributing its first shipment of 600 Moderna COVID-19 vaccines that is expected to arrive this week.
These vaccines will be distributed to people who wish to receive them locally in line with Ohio’s Phase 1A plan for offering the first vaccines to health care workers, emergency medical responders and people who are at the greatest risk for severe illness. Vaccine recipients will include health care workers, EMS personnel and people with developmental disabilities who live in group settings.
The two vaccines that have been approved and recommended to prevent COVID-19 require two injections, with several weeks between them, before they begin to offer the best protection. The vaccines Wood County expects to receive this week will be the first dose for those in the identified critical groups. A second dose will be delivered and administered in the future.
Wood County expects to continue receiving regular vaccine shipments but doesn’t yet know how long it will take to provide vaccines to everyone who wishes to receive them as part of Phase 1A.
As Wood County receives additional vaccine doses, a multi-sector coalition will allocate them in the best ways to efficiently vaccinate the community. This process will continue to involve working with first responders and representatives of health-care organizations and long-term care facilities.
If you believe you are part of Phase 1A, one person from your organization should complete an online form (https://forms.gle/Lju4xWNgkTzYT2rX7) that will gather initial information. Availability of vaccines will depend on future shipments from the state of Ohio. Please be patient, and the Health Department will contact you when more information is available.
COVID-19 vaccines are not yet available for the general public. As information becomes available about the next phases of vaccine distribution, it will be made public.
Accurate information about vaccines can be found from Wood County Health Department (Coronavirus.WoodCountyHealth.org), the Ohio Department of Health (Coronavirus.Ohio.gov) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Coronavirus.gov).
