When can you get COVID vaccine? Johnson County says be patient as Kansas sets schedule
Johnson County health officials say it will be several weeks before they can broaden the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to include essential workers and people over 65.
The county, which is following vaccine distribution guidelines established by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, is currently vaccinating health care workers as part of Phase 1, and demand has exceeded supply.
More than 25,000 health care workers alone have registered for vaccination, but the Johnson County health department has only received 4,000 doses since Dec. 21, officials said in a statement Friday.
“JCDHE is asking for the public’s patience with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine,” county health director Dr. Sanmi Areola said in the statement. “Johnson County is ready to vaccinate as soon as the vaccine becomes available.”
The first phase of vaccines covers health care workers, as well as residents and patients in long-term care facilities and senior housing.
Essential workers and people 65 and older were included in Phase 2 of the state’s final vaccine distribution plan released Thursday. It has five stages.
Phase 2 is broad, including firefighters, police officers, grocery store workers, K-12 and child care workers — teachers, custodians and other staff — transportation workers, U.S. Postal Service employees and people who work in retail and agriculture.
Homeless shelters, emergency shelters and safe houses, and correctional facilities are also included in Phase 2.
In Phase 3, people age 16 to 64 with serious medical conditions that put them at high risk for COVID will be vaccinated; that includes pregnant women. Other occupations covered include utility workers, IT and communications workers.
Phase 4 includes people 16-64 with other medical conditions, including asthma, liver disease, Type 1 diabetes and obesity. Everyone else over 16, and possibly children if a vaccine for them is available by then, comes last in Phase 5.
The county will tell residents when their turn comes on its website, jocogov.org/covid-19-vaccine, through local media and on the social media of the health department and county government, health officials said. People can sign up for daily email updates at jocogov.org/coronavirus.
In Jackson County, residents and people who work in the county who want to get the vaccine are asked to take a survey and sign up online.
The survey — located on the Jackson County Health Department’s website at jacohd.org/covid-19-vaccine-survey-tool — asks for contact information, occupation and pre-existing medical conditions.
This story was originally published January 8, 2021 at 6:50 PM.
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