CEDARVILLE, Ohio — Tuesday marked the official day that the state of Ohio began to roll out the COVID-19 vaccines to those residents 80 years of age and older as part of its Phase 1B plan.
As more vaccines will hopefully become available, DeWine announced plans for how the state will administer doses to those Ohioans with severe congenital, developmental, or early onset medical disorders.
DeWine says for those persons with an intellectual or developmental disability AND one of these severe congenital, developmental, or early onset conditions, their local county developmental disabilities board will reach out to them to help coordinate receipt of the vaccination beginning next week.
Among the conditions that Ohioans must have in addition to a developmental or intellectual disability are:
- Cerebral palsy
- Severe congenital heart disease
- Severe type 1 diabetes requiring hospitalization within in the past year
- Spina bifida
- Sickle cell anemia
- Solid organ transplants
You can see more of the conditions on the list below.
During the week of February 15, Ohioans who have severe congenital, developmental, or early onset conditions and do not have an intellectual or developmental disability will be eligible to receive the vaccine. Further guidance will be forthcoming closer to that date.
"We looked to the CDC for guidance," Ohio Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff explained. "We focused on those conditions that persist into young adulthood and have strong evidence of risk."
Vanderhoff noted that the doses that will be given to these patients are not pediatric vaccines. The Pfizer vaccine is available only to those 16 years of age and older. The Moderna vaccine is available only for those 18 and older.
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