Milestone reached in COVID fight

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Fayette County has reached a new milestone in the fight against COVID — the number of county residents vaccinated with their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine now exceeds the total number of known reported cases of the virus.

As of Thursday, 2,637 individuals have received at least the first dose of a two-dose series, while 2,631 positive cases have been reported by the Ohio Department of Health.

Vaccinations will continue for those who are eligible for Phase 1b of Ohio’s vaccination distribution plan next week.

“The vaccine supply is still very limited, and the amount our county receives can change from week to week,” said Leigh Cannon, Fayette County Public Health (FCPH) Deputy Health Commissioner, “According to the Ohio Department of Health, Fayette County will receive a total of 400 first doses for next week and 200 of those are allotted to the health department.”

Individuals who are currently eligible for Phase 1b include:

* Ohioans, age 65 and up.

* Ohioans born with or who have early childhood conditions that are carried into adulthood which put them at a higher risk for adverse outcomes due to COVID-19.

– Sickle cell anemia.

– Down syndrome.

– Cystic fibrosis.

– Muscular dystrophy.

– Cerebral palsy.

– Spina bifida.

– People born with severe heart defects, requiring regular specialized medical care.

– People with severe type 1 diabetes, who have been hospitalized for this in the past year.

– Phenylketonuria (PKU), Tay-Sachs, and other rare, inherited metabolic disorders.

– Epilepsy with continuing seizures; hydrocephaly; microcephaly, and other severe neurological disorders.

– Turner syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and other severe genetic disorders.

– People with severe asthma, who have been hospitalized for this in the past year.

– Alpha and beta thalassemia

– Solid organ transplant candidates and recipients.

Vaccine recipients must be age 16 or older to be eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, and age 18 or older to be eligible for the Moderna vaccine.

Fayette County Public Vaccination Providers for the week of Feb. 22

Fayette County Public Health (FCPH) – Next week, FCPH is scheduling individuals 65 and up based upon vaccine availability. If you are pre-registered, FCPH staff will call you to make an appointment. If you are not pre-registered, visit faycohd.org to do so. Once everyone on the current pre-registration list has been contacted for an appointment, FCPH will begin scheduling Ohioans born with or who have early childhood conditions that are carried into adulthood which put them at a higher risk for adverse outcomes due to COVID-19.

Fayette County Memorial Hospital (FCMH) – FCMH is now scheduling appointments for persons 65 years of age and older and Ohioans born with or who have early childhood conditions that are carried into adulthood which put them at a higher risk for adverse outcomes due to COVID-19. Please call 740-333-2743.

HealthSource of Ohio – HealthSource of Ohio will schedule appointments next week with limited availability for individuals 65 and older. Call (740) 335-8490. Online, visit: healthsourceofohio.org

Kroger – Next week, Kroger pharmacies will only be providing vaccines to the current phase / included populations, including adults 65 and older and Ohioans born with or who have early childhood conditions that are carried into adulthood which put them at a higher risk for adverse outcomes due to COVID-19. Visit kroger.com/ohiocovidvaccine or call the Kroger COVID-19 vaccine helpline at 866-211-5320 for the latest information on vaccine availability in your area.

Walgreens – Next week, Walgreens will be providing second doses to individuals who received their first dose at Walgreens.

Transportation – The Fayette County Transportation Program will transport anyone in Fayette County who needs to get their vaccine appointment, as long as they have a confirmed appointment scheduled. Anyone who needs transportation is asked to call 740-335-9628 to schedule as soon as they have an appointment time for the vaccine.

A statewide Vaccine Provider Locations search is available at vaccine.coronavirus.ohio.gov, allowing Ohioans to search by county and ZIP code to find a provider in their area to administer the vaccine.

Fayette County remains red on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System (OPHAS). Two indicators were met — the number of new cases per capita over the past two weeks and the number of cases in non-congregate settings (indicative of community spread). Cases have steadily declined. There have been 97 new cases reported over the past two weeks, or 340.05 per 100,000 individuals.

Individuals are encouraged to continue to remain vigilant. Please continue to wash your hands, watch your distance (six feet or more), wear a mask, stay home when sick, and keep your circle small. For more information visit faycohd.org.

Nick Geruntino of Washington Court House City Schools is “thumbs up” on vaccination day for K-12 school staff in Fayette County. Shown with Nick are Donna Butler and Heidi Phipps, Fayette County Public Health clerks.
https://www.recordherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2021/02/web1_school1.jpgNick Geruntino of Washington Court House City Schools is “thumbs up” on vaccination day for K-12 school staff in Fayette County. Shown with Nick are Donna Butler and Heidi Phipps, Fayette County Public Health clerks. Courtesy photos

Miami Trace Local Schools Superintendent Kim Pittser received a vaccine from Monica Runyon, RN, a volunteer with the Fayette County Medical Reserve Corps.
https://www.recordherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2021/02/web1_Kim-Pittser.jpgMiami Trace Local Schools Superintendent Kim Pittser received a vaccine from Monica Runyon, RN, a volunteer with the Fayette County Medical Reserve Corps. Courtesy photos

Fayette County Public Health staff and Fayette County Medical Reserve Corps volunteers vaccinated 434 individuals on Friday, Feb. 12, including staff from the local school districts and other individuals who qualify for Phase 1b
https://www.recordherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2021/02/web1_healthdeptmrcatmiamitrace.jpgFayette County Public Health staff and Fayette County Medical Reserve Corps volunteers vaccinated 434 individuals on Friday, Feb. 12, including staff from the local school districts and other individuals who qualify for Phase 1b Courtesy photos
2,637 county residents have received at least 1st dose of vaccination

The Record-Herald

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