More people will qualify for the coronavirus vaccine in Ohio as of Thursday. Gov. Mike DeWine says those with Type 2 diabetes or with end stage renal disease can get a shot, as well as those age 50 or older. He says there's also a new statewide portal for people to schedule an appointment.
DeWine says by going to GetTheShot.coronavirus.ohio.gov, people can see if they qualify to schedule an appointment and to get updates and reminders. He says providers are required to use the state's system, or another system that interfaces with the state portal.
"We believe this will streamline the scheduling process, reduce data lags, and provide real-time information on vaccination progress across the state," he said during a Monday briefing.
New Variants In Ohio
Three COVID-19 variants have been confirmed in Ohio, but the state's chief medical officer says he's not too worried about them. Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff says there's a handful of cases with the UK variant, one case with the mutation from Brazil, and none found with the South African variant.
"These variants underscore just how important it is for all of us to get vaccinated when it's our turn and to continue to play good defense until more of us are vaccinated," Vanderhoff said.
Vanderhoff says the expectation is the variants, especially B.1.1.7, the UK variant, will continue to spread in the coming weeks.
