Ohioans with certain conditions they were either born with or diagnosed as a child and carried into adulthood can get the COVID vaccine starting this week. The state has identified 14 conditions that face a significantly higher risk for adverse outcomes to COVID-19. Those include people born with heart defects or diagnosed young with epilepsy and organ transplant candidates and recipients. Plus, those 65 years and older can get the vaccine too.
“We have two million that have been identified by medical professionals as being high risk. It’s people who need the vaccine first,” says Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. “When you are getting 150,000 to 175,000 doses a week, whatever it fluctuates, by the very nature of the math involved means some people are going to be served before others and it just takes time for us to get through this.”
There is expected to be an increase of vaccine coming into the state over the next couple of weeks to help with the high demand.
