As of Thursday, over 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccinations have been delivered in Ohio. 13 percent of the state's adult population have received at least the first dose of the two-shot regimen.
Governor Mike DeWine says an estimated 310-thousand doses will arrive next week.
"We've finished the vaccination of our school personnel. And we've also seen an increase in vaccines coming into Ohio from the federal government. So we'll be adding more sites. Adding Meijers, Walmart...we're going to add a number of independent pharmacies."
DeWine says supply will increase more if the one-shot vaccination from Johnson & Johnson gets the greenlight from the Food and Drug Administration. He says he's been assured that when that happens, Ohio will get 90-thousand doses in the first week of production.
Despite making vaccinating seniors a priority, many have still not received their first shot. People over the age of 80 became eligible over a month ago, nursing homes and assisted living centers were targeted, and the Ohio Department of Aging launched programs taking the vaccine to senior housing. But the only 60 percent of that population has been vaccinated. Governor DeWine says the state is looking for more aggressive strategies.
"We've asked all our hospitals - and I'm asking them again - go back in your system, and everyone who's over 80, communicate with them, and ask them to come in. One of the other things that we're working with local health departments on is literally finding people who cannot leave their home, and then working on getting that vaccine taken to them."
87 percent of COVID-19 deaths in Ohio have been people age 65 and over. Less than half of that population has received their first shot.
