Seniors vaccinated; availability an issue

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Van Wert General Health District’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Friday was the third clinic held at the Van Wert County Council on Aging, according to County Environmental Health Director Britt Menchhofer.

The Health District has also been inoculating those eligible for COVID-19 vaccine during weekdays at the district office on Westwood Drive.

Menchhofer said the Council on Aging’s Senior Center provides more space and allows the Health District to provide more vaccinations at one time, due to the 15-minute waiting period required after receiving the vaccine.

“We are very appreciative of the Council on Aging staff and volunteers, as well as the CERT team and the many other volunteers we need to hold the clinic,” she noted.

Menchhofer added that local health officials are always seeking more volunteers, and those interested can contact her at the health district office, 419.238.0808, extension 105.

Between 250 and 300 vaccinations have been given during the Council on Aging clinics, she noted, adding that people are given scheduled times to receive their vaccinations.

Menchhofer explained that people are given a time to receive their vaccination. When the person arrives, the health district staff and volunteers then get a copy of their insurance card and ID and provide them with the vaccination questionnaire. The people being inoculated then fill out the paperwork and receive their vaccination. They are then asked to sit for 15 minutes to ensure they do not have an adverse reaction to the vaccine. Before leaving, they will be given a card that directs them when they should return for the second shot.

Menchhofer said vaccine availability remains an issue, especially since local health officials don’t receive a lot of lead time prior to receiving the vaccine. That makes it difficult to schedule vaccinations very far in advance. She noted the health district office has no control over the amount of vaccine, or which manufacturer is supplying it.

“For example, at one point we requested 400 doses, but only received 100,” Menchhofer said, adding, though, that health officials are not concerned about receive the second doses, since the state has guaranteed second doses will be available.

At the present time, those over the age of 75 are being scheduled for the clinics, and Menchhofer said her office is being overwhelmed with phone calls and voice mails related to vaccinations.

“We ask the public to be patient,” she said. “We understand that everyone is eager to receive the vaccine, but when people call multiple times it delays responses and causes extra work.”

Menchhofer said the health district currently has nearly 3,000 people on a waiting list to receive the vaccine, plus the office is getting more than 200 voicemails a day on top of the many phone calls being answered in person by office staff members.

“It has been extremely difficult to keep up with scheduling appointments, holding clinics, entering clinic data, returning phone calls, and keeping up with our required normal job duties,” she noted, and asked that those under age 65 not call at this time, since health officials don’t know yet when vaccine will be available for that age group.

Because the health district has a small permanent staff, a number of volunteers have been brought in to help with vaccination clinics, Menchhofer said, who also added that the need to administer second doses in the near future will take time away from providing first-dose vaccine to new patients.

In addition, the county has been directed to vaccinate in school districts, starting the third week of February, with those doses earmarked specifically for schools and not taken from the number of routine doses the health district will be providing.

Menchhofer said more information on vaccine availability and clinics will be released as the need arises, but asks that those with questions about COVID-19 access the Ohio Department of Health’s coronavirus website at coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 833.4.ASK.ODH.