Despite reaching milestone, less than 50% of Kansas City’s population is fully vaccinated
Despite reaching a milestone over the weekend in the battle against the coronavirus, less than 50% of the population in the Kansas City metro area has been fully vaccinated, according to data by the Mid-America Regional Council.
Over the weekend, the Kansas City region hit more than 1 million people who are now fully vaccinated, according to MARC.
That prompted the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to tweet: “Big news: over the weekend the KC region hit more than 1 million people fully vaccinated. Thanks to all the hospitals, health departments, health organizations, and volunteers doing this work.”
That number represents 48.5% of the area’s total population of more than 2 million, including kids under the age of 12, for whom the vaccine has yet to be approved. The region is comprised of Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte and Ray counties in Missouri.
Health officials initially had said a community would need to reach the threshold of 60 to 70% of its population for heard immunity. The spread of the delta variant, however, has pushed the threshold over 80% and potentially approaching 90%, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Johnson County at 61% has the highest rate of vaccination in the area. All the remaining counties, however, have less than 50% of their population fully vaccinated. The closest three are Leavenworth County at 48.9%, Platte County at 44.9% and Jackson County at 43.9%.
Cass County at 40.6%, Miami County at 39.2% and Ray County at 31.9% have the worst rates of in the 10 county region.
In April, Comeback KC launched regional education and communication campaign — Two Million Arms KC — to help get people vaccinated.
Through its website, www.vaccinatekc.com, people can get information on where to get their shot as well as information about the vaccines.
This story was originally published August 30, 2021 at 3:08 PM.
