COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — March COVID-19 vaccinations in Ohio were nearly double the number in February, and they more than doubled in Franklin County.
In March, more than 1.6 million Ohioans received a vaccine as eligibility gradually opened to everyone 16 and older. It was an increase of 94% from the more than 840,000 vaccinations received in February.
In Ohio’s largest county, the percentage increase was even higher. People in Franklin County received 180,000 vaccinations in March, up 130% from 78,000 in February.
These numbers are in line with what was expected as eligibility and the number of doses of vaccine increased as well. In February, COVID-19 vaccinations were limited to those 65 and older, K-12 teachers and staff, healthcare workers, and those with early childhood conditions that are carried into adulthood. Everyone 16 and older became eligible in the last week of March.
Timeline of COVID-19 vaccine eligibility in Ohio:
- Dec. 14, 2020: Healthcare workers receive first vaccines
- Jan. 19: 80+
- Jan. 25: 75+
- Feb. 1: 70+, K-12 teachers and staff
- Feb. 8: 65+
- Feb. 15: Those with early childhood conditions that are carried into adulthood
- Mar. 4: 60+, pregnant people, certain professions (law enforcement officers, childcare workers)
- Mar. 11: 50+, people with type 2 diabetes and end-stage renal disease
- Mar. 19: 40+, people with certain health conditions (obesity, cancer, heart disease, COPD)
- Mar. 29: 16+
Statewide, 29% of Ohioans have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 17% are fully vaccinated with either two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
As vaccinations opened for anybody 16 and older on Monday, the state expected to receive 571,000 doses of the three vaccines, Governor Mike DeWine stated last week, by far the greatest amount yet.
With the increased supply, DeWine announced the state added 11 standing vaccination sites that are open to anyone 16 and older. Locations include the Celeste Center at the Ohio Expo Center, which is scheduled to receive 5,000 doses per week.
Other locations are in Akron, Chillicothe, Cincinnati, Dayton, Lima, Marietta, Maumee, Wilmington, Youngstown, and Zanesville, as well as four mobile clinics that will travel various regions. Schedule a vaccination at one of these sites through the state’s online portal.
