Ohio County Health Dept. Vaccinates Police, Bypassing State's COVID Vaccine Plan

The Erie County Health Department in Ohio has given COVID-19 vaccines to a number of police officers, despite the state's vaccination plan not listing this group in its first phase.

Phase 1a of the state's vaccine plan includes health care workers and EMS workers, as well as residents and staff at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, psychiatric hospitals, group homes and veterans homes, according to Governor Mike DeWine's office.

While front-line health care workers top the state's vaccination plan's first phase, DeWine said at a press conference last week that roughly 60 percent of nursing home employees have refused the vaccine, which has left many counties, such as Erie, with extra doses.

Speaking with Toledo's WTOL, Erie County Health Commissioner Peter Schade said that the county had extra doses of the vaccine after many health care workers decided against receiving it. According to the TV station, roughly 200 police officers and deputies in Erie County have been inoculated.

"What am I going to do, just sit on it?" Schade told WTOL when asked about vaccinating law enforcement officials.

Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth told Toledo's WTVG "that law enforcement officials are also first responders." He added, "I believe it's appropriate to do everything that we can do to protect law enforcement officers as other professions are also being protected."

Despite having extra doses, counties are still required to follow the state's vaccination plan and return those doses to the state health department so people in the first phase can get vaccinated.

"These are directives from the state of Ohio. We have talked to Erie County. I can't tell you what was said, but we want them to contact the state if they have extra doses," DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney told WTOL. "The vaccine rollout requires a coordinated response."

Newsweek reached out to DeWine's office for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.

In response to the directive from the state, Schade told WTOL, "I'm moving on to the next round," adding, "I'm running my shop the way I need to run it."

Newsweek reached out to Schade for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

The decision to vaccinate police officers in Erie County comes as other law enforcement agencies across the state have questioned why they are not included in the first vaccination phase.

Last month, Toledo Police Chief George Kral tweeted, "I am very disappointed that the @OHdeptofhealth has determined that law enforcement officers do not qualify for the vaccines provided by the CDC for COVID-19 phase 1A. These front-line officers are on the street day and night serving and deserve better."

Kral, along with the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, recently wrote DeWine and the state's health director, Stephanie McCloud, requesting that law enforcement officials be placed in the first vaccination phase.

"We want to preface this request by stating we do not think the other identified professions should be moved off of Phase 1, but we do earnestly believe law enforcement officer should be included," their letter said.