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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Mayor Frank Jackson assimilates the development of his administration a coronavirus vaccination program to build a house and design it at the same time.
The state has said who should be vaccinated – and in what order – but it has been left to local health departments to determine how it should be done, according to the mayor. And Cleveland designs a staged deployment as dictated by the state, using doses as made available by the state.
“We do our job and we do it in a very systematic way,” said the mayor.
Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer interviewed Jackson; Brian Kimball, Acting Director of Public Health; and Tracy Martin-Thompson, Head of Prevention, Intervention and Opportunities for Youth and Young Adults, to better understand the scale of the city’s immunization program and how it is being implemented.
How many doses of vaccine has the city received so far?
The state shipped a total of 6,000 doses of Moderna vaccine in three separate shipments. For safety reasons, vaccines are kept in an undisclosed location.
How many people has the city’s health department vaccinated so far?
As of Wednesday, the city had vaccinated 1,240 people with the first of two vaccines. Each person must return within 28 days to receive their second vaccine.
From December 24 to December 24 On the 29th, the city vaccinated 660 people. 580 other blows were given from Wednesday. Another 400 vaccines are expected to be administered by the end of the week.
Who has been vaccinated so far?
People who have received vaccines include EMS first responders and firefighters, healthcare providers who are not employed by hospitals, and some nursing and medical students.
The first phase also includes approximately 2,500 employees and residents of the city’s more than 270 collective living centers that are not part of federal pharmacy programs. People aged 65 and over, school workers and people with underlying health conditions will follow soon.
How many workers in the city have been vaccinated?
About 40% of the city’s 1,045 first responders and EMS firefighters were vaccinated during the week of Dec. 24-29, according to Martin-Thompson. She said it is not known how many refused to be vaccinated. Some are getting the shot this week and others may get the shot later, she said.
Does the city advise employees to get vaccinated?
Yes, according to Jackson, but getting the vaccine is not a condition of employment.
“Our job is to administer it,” he said. “Their job is to make the choice.”
Jackson said the city was more focused on how to get the infrastructure in place so the city can immunize people as directed by the state.
Where are the blows struck?
The city has set up a vaccination zone in Public hall with around 70 city employees and volunteers. As more doses of the vaccine arrive from the state and other phases of the program begin, the city expects open six supplemental vaccination zones, Jackson said. Likely locations include some of the city’s 22 recreation centers, he said.
The plan is also to staff mobile units that can travel to gathering places such as high-rise senior centers.
“We are building infrastructure, delivering the vaccine, but also working with partners trying to build collaboration,” Jackson said.
How are the appointments scheduled?
The city identifies people eligible to be vaccinated during each phase and schedules appointments. One way city officials do this is to meet with health care providers and get a list of those workers who want to get vaccinated, Martin-Thompson said.
In addition, social workers will be deployed to assembly centers to determine how many residents want vaccines and whether they can come to the vaccination center to receive them or whether a mobile unit needs to be dispatched.
Other aspects of the planning process still need to be be resolved, said Martin-Thompson.
What is happening at the vaccination site?
Those registered are screened upon arrival at the vaccination center to ensure that they meet the eligibility requirements. A medical exam is also done to check for allergies and other conditions.
The shot is administered and the recipient is observed for 15 minutes to check for possible adverse effects. The whole process takes about 45 minutes.
Jackson said the staff were very meticulous in administering the vaccine and keeping proper records.
Are there any vaccines thrown away?
No. If at the end of the day, doses are not used because people do not keep their appointments, vaccines are given at the site to group personnel currently eligible to receive them, Kimball said.
Unused doses cannot be put back in coolers, and members of city council asked last week whether the health department was forced to throw away the doses. Jackson said no vaccine had to be thrown away.
How much will the vaccination program cost?
Jackson said the ultimate cost is unknown, “but we do not know what we will have to bear that cost.”
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