First round of COVID-19 vaccine not available to general public

CELINA — The first phase of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution began on Monday, as the vaccine was shipped to 10 pre-selected hospitals across Ohio. But because of the limited supply of vaccine, the first phase of vaccine administration will focus on critical groups and not be available to the general public, according to a press release from the Mercer County Health District released on Monday.

The first phase includes the following groups: health care workers and personnel who are routinely involved in the care of COVID-19 patients, residents and staff at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, patients and staff at state psychiatric hospitals, people with intellectual disabilities and those with mental illness who live in group homes or centers and staff at those locations, residents and staff at Ohio veterans’ homes and EMS responders.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, the vaccine has been shown to prevent COVID-19 and to decrease the severity of illness in people who catch this virus.

The vaccine will be provided free of charge and will require two doses to be given at least 28 days apart.

Possible side effects include fatigue, headache, soreness or redness at the injection site and muscle or joint pain.

“While these side effects may be unpleasant, they are simply indications that the body is responding to the vaccine and creating immunity from the virus,” the release said.

The vaccine is currently only available to people 16 years of age or older and is not available for pregnant women at this time.

“The MCHD is currently reviewing our plans and policies for vaccine distribution,” the health district said in the release. “We hope to conduct drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinics when the vaccine becomes available to the general public.”

The MCHD is asking residents complete a survey, which can be found at SurveyMonkey.com/r/MTH57TW, to help the health district plan for the vaccinations.

As of Dec. 14, the Mercer County Health District (MCHD) reports 3,068 confirmed cases, 549 probable cases, 2,762 recovered cases, 47 pending cases, 15 hospitalizations, 56 deaths and 14 probable deaths of COVID-19. There have been nine confirmed cases who have passed away because of the causes other than COVID-19. Currently, there are 236 active cases of COVID-19 in Mercer County.