CINCINNATI — UC Health made history administering the first COVID-19 vaccinations to frontline health care workers who work directly with COVID-19 patients in southwest Ohio.

On Monday, UC Health delivered the region's first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination to registered nurse Katie Walz, who works in the cardiovascular ICU at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

“I wanted to be able to do my part to reduce the spread of COVID-19,” said Walz, who is part of the inpatient extracorporeal membrane oxygenation team, where she cares for critically ill COVID-19 patients. “I’ve seen a lot of people this year suffer and die from COVID-19, and I’d like to do whatever we can to slow that process and be an example to others to show that the vaccine is safe and worth getting.”

Ohio received a limited supply of the Pfizer vaccine this week and those were distributed to those identified as part of the “critical groups” including frontline healthcare workers like those at UC Health medical centers, which have been making efforts to combat the virus, since the pandemic began.

“This is an historic moment for our community, our region and the nation,” said Dr. Richard P. Lofgren, president and CEO of UC Health. “From the beginning, UC and UC Health have participated in finding a cure as a clinical trial site, and our healthcare workers within our hospitals have tirelessly served on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19 for more than nine months. We are proud to have been selected as one of the very first healthcare systems to receive the vaccine.”

During Phase I of the vaccination distribution, one of the 10 locations chosen by the Ohio Department of Health and listed in their vaccination prepositioning plan, was UC Health's University of Cincinnati Medical Center — the only site chosen in southwest Ohio. The locations were identified based on geography, population and access to ultra-cold storage space; however, more locations are expected to receive the vaccine in the near future.

“Our role as one of the very first recipient sites for the vaccine underscores the unique and critically important role that UC Health plays in our region and treating those who have been most significantly impacted by the virus,” Lofgren said. “This vaccine will help us to ensure that the members of our healthcare team, who are uniquely qualified in the region to address critically ill patients and medical challenges presented by the virus, remain healthy so that they may continue to serve the broader community and region.”

UC Health’s first wave of vaccinations included 975 doses and over the next few weeks and months, UC Health is expected to receive additional shipments of the vaccine to administer to more of its frontline healthcare workers, said Amanda Nageleisen, director of corporate media relations at UC Health.

Currently, UC Health has vaccination clinics set up for frontline workers at three inpatient locations, including UC Medical Center’s ICU and emergency department, West Chester Hospital and Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care.

Eventually, they plan on administering to approximately 1,900 high-risk frontline workers, so that they can be protected and therefore continue to give uninterrupted care to their patients moving forward as the pandemic progresses, Lofgren said during Gov. Mike DeWine’s press conference Monday afternoon.

“At UC Health, we're really excited to be part of this momentous occasion,” Lofgren said. “I think from the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve all been looking forward to this moment in time.”

The first shipment for Ohio’s Phase I distribution included 9,750 vaccines for the 10 prepositioned hospital sites like UC Health. Additionally, 88,725 vaccines will be distributed to Walgreens and CVS for congregate care settings, according to the governor’s office.

As the state’s plan progresses and as vaccination shipments continue to arrive, DeWine announced the following timeline of distribution.

• On approximately Dec. 22, a shipment of 201,000 vaccines is expected from Moderna. Those vaccines will be doled out to 98 hospitals and distributed to those who are exposed to COVID patients – as well as distributed to 108 health departments to vaccinate additional frontline workers.
• On approximately Dec. 22, another shipment is also expected from Pfizer. The tentative number of vaccines in this shipment is 123,000, which will be distributed to Walgreens and CVS for congregate care settings.
• By the end of December, Ohio expects to receive another 148,000 vaccines from Pfizer and 89,000 vaccines from Moderna.

Other Cincinnati-area hospitals, like Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, are currently drafting and finalizing their own distribution plans for once they receive the vaccination.

And just on the other side of the Ohio River, St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Northern Kentucky is expecting their first shipment of 975 doses of the vaccination to arrive on Tuesday, said Guy Karrick, St. Elizabeth Healthcare public relations manager.

Working in accordance to the guidelines set by The Kentucky Department for Public Health, St. Elizabeth Healthcare plans to administer the nearly thousand vaccinations to select frontline workers who have been treating COVID-19 patients since March, Karrick said.

The next round of vaccinations is expected to be delivered to St. Elizabeth in three weeks, Karrick confirmed.

"We expect additional vaccines for frontline workers to arrive by the end of the year, but nothing definitive yet,” he continued.

At this point, however, it has not been determined when the vaccination will be available to the general public.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccination, visit the CDC website or the Ohio coronavirus website; or call 833-427-5634 for Ohio-specific questions regarding the vaccine.

To find a testing site in Hamilton County, visit: https://healthcollab.org/testandprotect/. Or to find a testing site outside of Hamilton County, visit: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/testing-ch-centers.