Are you eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine? Ohio now open to those 40 and older, among other groups

Brian Hofmann

5 years ago

COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Hundreds of thousands of more Ohioans are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as of Friday, including anyone 40 and older.

The state opened several new phases to its vaccination program Friday, and starting on March 29, anyone 16 and older will be eligible. Those who participate will join the 2.5 million people in the state who had at least had their first shot as of Thursday.

With many new phases having recently opened, NBC4 has compiled a list of those who are eligible — or have been eligible since the program began in December — based on medical condition, occupation or residency.

Medical-based eligibility

People who are pregnant
People with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes
People who have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/Lou Gehrig’s disease
People with end-stage renal (kidney) disease
People who have received a bone marrow transplant, sometimes called hematopoietic or stem cell transplant, and are undergoing treatment primarily for cancer or certain anemias
People who have cancer
People with chronic kidney disease (CKD)
People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
People who have heart disease
People who have obesity
People who have certain medical conditions that were present at birth or developed in early childhood. Qualifying conditions not listed above that are in this category:
- Sickle cell anemia
- Down syndrome
- Cystic fibrosis
- Muscular dystrophy
- Cerebral palsy
- Spina bifida
- A severe heart defect that requires regular specialized medical care
- 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
- Severe asthma that has required hospitalization in the past year
- Alpha and beta thalassemia
- Solid organ transplant (recipients and candidates)

Occupation-based eligibility

Healthcare workers and personnel routinely involved in the care of COVID-19 patients
Emergency medical service (EMS) responders
Nursing home staff
Staff at assisted living facilities
Staff at state psychiatric hospitals
Staff at group homes, residential facilities, or centers for people with developmental disabilities
Staff at group homes, residential facilities, or centers for people with mental health disorders, including substance-use disorders
Staff at state-run homes for Ohio veterans
Employees of K-12 schools that hold in-person classes
People who work in child care services and have ongoing direct contact with enrolled children
People who work in funeral services
Active duty people who work in law enforcement (at least 20 hours per week) and have first responder or direct supervisory responsibilities. Includes:
- Police officers
- Sheriff’s deputies
- Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers
- Special jurisdiction officers, such as Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) enforcement staff, pharmacy board investigators, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) agents, state fire marshal investigators, and federal transportation security officers and other federal law enforcement officers without access to vaccination from federal sources
People who work in corrections, including probation and parole staff, who provide direct services to an adult or juvenile who is an inmate or under court-supervision
Active employees of a recognized fire department

Residency-based eligibility

Residents of nursing homes
Residents of assisted living facilities
Patients at state psychiatric hospitals
People with developmental disabilities living in group homes, residential facilities, or centers
People with mental health disorders, including substance-use disorders, living in group homes, residential facilities, or centers
Residents of state-run homes for Ohio veterans

Some of the above groups, such as front-line medical workers or nursing-home residents, were part of earlier stages of the vaccination program. But for anyone in the list, in addition to those 40 and older, they are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Being eligible is not a guarantee of immediately receiving the vaccine, as supply of the authorized options from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson remains limited. Many vaccine providers only make appointments for the following week, once they know how many doses they will receive.

Providers include hospitals, pharmacies and local health departments, in addition to larger mass vaccination sites. Scheduling an appointment may begin with your doctor’s office, especially if they are part of a hospital group. But a person can schedule an appointment on their own. Ohio has launched a scheduling portal at gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov.

Users can search by location or ZIP code to find nearby providers, and from there, they can go to the provider’s website to attempt to schedule an appointment. Each provider treats registration differently, with some providing lists of available appointment slots — which may get taken quickly — or adding people to a waiting list.

NBC4 recently put together its own list of vaccine providers, with links to their websites where available:

The vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna require two shots to be fully effective, but the vaccine from Johnson & Johnson requires only one shot. Doctors recommend that you take the vaccine first offered to you rather than attempt to receive the one you may prefer.

That’s because, the sooner a person is vaccinated, the less likely they are to ever get sick from COVID-19.