Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said the state will come up with a way to pay for vaccines in the state, but he sure would like help from the federal government.
While Congress continues to negotiate a COVID-19 funding package to replace the one that ends Dec.31, DeWine hopes federal money will cover the price tag. If not, he said, the state will find the money.
“These vaccinations will take place one way or another, whether Congress steps in or not,” DeWine said. “We will find a way to pay for it, one way or another. We will get people vaccinated in Ohio.”
DeWine said some federal CARES Act dollars remain and could be used but offered little specifics on other funding options.
“It would make it a lot easier if the federal government comes with a bill. It’s just one of the reasons we’ve asked for the bill.”
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, continue to call for a bipartisan package that not only would help with vaccine distribution, but include other economic support programs.
Portman has spoken 18 times on the Senate floor since March about the need for Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to respond to both the health care and economic crisis caused by the virus.
Brown trumpeted the vaccine’s released and called on Ohioans to control to follow statewide guidelines.
“Even as we celebrate a vaccine, we’re seeing a record number of cases daily and know the virus isn’t going away any time soon. The introduction of a vaccine is a meaningful development, but it does not mean the risks associated with COVID-19 disappear overnight,” Brown said. “We also know we have to work to do to combat the economic toll this pandemic has taken on the American people. Congress must pass a COVID relief page before the end of the year and President Trump must sign it into law immediately.”
Next week, local health departments registered as providers should begin receiving vaccines, and DeWine said those should be prioritized for home health workers, hospice workers, EMS responders, dental providers and other health care workers.
Though DeWine sounded upbeat as vaccines began to be distributed, he also was clear he believes it’s not time to back away from current recommendations and orders.
“There is no time really during this that we can rest and say let’s not worry about it anymore,” DeWine said. “We have a long, long way to go. The good news is we’ve started.”
