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12/10/2020

Vaccine Distribution Update


Covid vaccine
An Update from the Ohio Department of Health to Physicians and Other Healthcare Personnel: (As of Dec. 10)

OSMA received the below update from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) today. We are still waiting for information on specifically which physicians and healthcare staff will be included in the first phase of vaccine availability. We have received several questions from physicians running primary care practices and urgent cares in communities as well as other practice settings. We hope to have clarification from the state in the next week or two on this issue and will let members know as soon as possible. Should you have questions related to vaccine distributions please email OSMA or call 800.766.6762 and we will work to get you an answer.


Dear Health/Medical/Public Health/Long-Term Care and Other Partners,

As you may know, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has selected 10 hospitals around the state to pre-position the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for immediate use upon federal approval. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) authorized Ohio to select no more than 10 sites with ultra-cold storage capabilities to receive an advance shipment of the vaccine.

I am writing to you to clarify the role of these pre-positioning hospitals, as there appears to be a misunderstanding that they will redistribute COVID-19 vaccine to other healthcare providers in their regions, which is not accurate. Ohio’s pre-positioning hospitals will receive a very limited supply of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (975 doses each) to begin vaccinating some of their critical healthcare workers after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approves an emergency-use authorization and CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issues its recommendations on the vaccine’s use. These pre-positioning hospitals will not redistribute vaccine to other healthcare providers.

Other healthcare providers who are enrolled in Ohio’s COVID-19 Vaccination Provider Program and who can help vaccinate identified populations in each phase, will receive vaccine during that phase. If you haven’t already enrolled in Ohio’s COVID-19 Vaccination Provider Program, you can do so by going to the State of Ohio’s “OH|ID” webpage at https://ohid.ohio.gov. Enrollment information and resources are available at https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/know-our-programs/Immunization/pandemic-vaccine-provider/ohio-covid-19-provider-enrollment.

The vaccine supply will be limited initially. Pending final CDC ACIP recommendations, Ohio will first vaccinate individuals in Phase 1A who are in critical groups and choose to get vaccinated, including healthcare providers and personnel who are routinely involved with the care of COVID-19 patients, residents and staff at nursing facilities, residents and staff at assisted living facilities, patients and staff at psychiatric hospitals, people with intellectual disabilities and those with mental illness who live in group homes or centers and staff at those locations, residents and staff of Ohio’s veterans homes, and EMS responders.


OSMA will share COVID-19 vaccine distribution updates and other information with you as it becomes available.

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Resources have been complied to offer Ohio providers interested in participating in the COVID-19 Vaccination Program the information needed regarding vaccine training, storage, handling and reporting, and other COVID-19 vaccine specifics.

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