By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
With all the news swirling about COVID-19 vaccines, Wood County Health Commissioner Ben Robison realizes some of the message is getting garbled.
The health department is working to improve the information pipeline, Robison said during a meeting with the Wood County Committee on Aging Board on Wednesday. An information only phone line will soon be in operation to give the public the latest status of local vaccines.
Robison compared the phone line to the old “time and temperature” number – which is still in operation in Bowling Green.
“This will be the time and temperature version of this,” he said.
The line will give callers the latest information on vaccines in Wood County, tell them how to connect with appointments for the vaccine, and tell them when the next update will be available.
The health department will also be expanding on-call opportunities for those who qualify for the shots and are willing to show up when extra vaccine is available.
“These appointments are few and far between,” Robison said.
The health department also plans to add more call support staff – perhaps as many as 40 people – so callers can talk to a real person, he said.
Many local residents trying to schedule vaccinations online have found themselves shut out by people signing up quickly. Last week, the online appointments at Mercy Health were all taken within 15 minutes of the start of signup.
However, 20% of the vaccine appointments are made through phone-based scheduling, Robison said. So, while the online appointments were quickly gone, many of the phone-based appointments were available up to five hours later, he said.
“There is significantly more demand than there is supply,” Robison said. “It’s very challenging for folks who want the vaccine to find it.”
As of Wednesday, most of the healthcare workers and congregate care setting residents in the county have received their vaccines.
“We’ve pretty much completed the 1A group,” Robison said. Some will probably still trickle in, he added.
The county is now in the third week of vaccines for the 1B group for people 70 and older and school staffs. But just 5,000 doses have been given so far to the county’s 1B population of 25,000 to 30,000 people.
At the current vaccine supply rate, it could take 16 more weeks to get the entire 1B group vaccinated in the county.
The county received its first shipment of vaccines right before Christmas. With approximately 10% of the county vaccinated so far, the health department is keeping up with its commitment to not waste any doses, Robison said.
“We’ve administered every dose we’ve received,” he said.
It’s tricky for some of the normal vaccine providers in the county, since they are accustomed to dispersing flu vaccines, which can be saved up to 30 days after vials have been punctured. The COVID-19 vaccines can only be used within six hours after the vials have been punctured.
With its community partners, the health department has compiled “robust” call lists of people already eligible in the 1B group to show up when extra doses are available.
The health department is shifting the focus of its vaccine doses to the most vulnerable residents of the county, Robison said. While Wood County Hospital, Mercy Hospital and the pharmacies with the vaccine will make the shots available to people in the general 1B group, the health department will work on ensuring that every resident has access to the vaccine.
On Friday, the health department plans to host a focus group from the senior community on the vaccination process.
Initially, health department officials believed they could take the vaccines to seniors who are unable to leave their homes for the shots. However, they have since been advised that once the vials have been punctured that they cannot be transported elsewhere.
So Robison said the health department plans to set up a vaccination station, then transport seniors to the location.
“We can’t bring the doses to people – at least not to their doorstep,” he said. “So we will move the person to the dose.”
