A lot of the details are being kept under wraps, but COVID-19 vaccinations began Monday in Kansas, according to Gov. Laura Kelly.
Gov. Kelly said during a 3 p.m. news conference Monday that Kansas has already received the first shipment of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, including 23,750 doses. It is being distributed to ultra-cold storage areas, and Wichita and Kansas City already received theirs, she said.
She said they saw a rollout of a few vaccinations on Monday and expect to see them continue to ramp up. On Wednesday, they will see the vaccination program in effect across the state, she said.
The first persons in Kansas to receive the vaccines will be the front-line high-risk health care workers in hospitals and correctional systems, Gov. Kelly said.
Weekly shipments of vaccines are expected, she said. They expect to receive Moderna’s first shipment of 49,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines next week, she said, pending emergency use authorization by the FDA.
Doctors at the University of Kansas Health System, which is one of the five sites in Kansas to receive the first shipment of vaccines, said on Monday morning that they expected the vaccine to arrive and that vaccinations would begin Monday or Tuesday.
The state’s distribution plan is administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, said.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, noted that Walgreens and CVS are taking care of nursing homes residents and staff. The two pharmacies are receiving vaccines directly and will travel to nursing homes to give them.
Dr. Stites said he can’t wait to get the vaccine, but he isn’t the first in line.
“It’s the beginning of the end of COVID, and I’m looking forward to that,” he said.
Vaccines at the hospital will go to those who come into contact with COVID-19 patients regularly.
The side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine will likely be mild for most people, and could include pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache and fever, similar to a flu shot, according to Dr. Hawkinson. Live virus is not used in the vaccine. The symptoms should all go away in 24 to 48 hours, Dr. Stites said.
Dr. Stites encouraged people to look at the FDA website for information about the vaccine, and also in the New England Journal of Medicine online.
During the news conference, Dr. Donna Ginther, economics professor and director of the Institute for Policy and Social Research, said they have been looking at other outcomes of wearing masks. They found that not only do masks prevent new COVID-19 cases, but they also reduce hospitalizations and deaths by about 50 percent, she said.
“So masks are working and they will help prevent the spread of the disease,” she said. “Please wear masks.”
Dr. Brett Bricker, communications professor, and Dr. Ginther offered ideas about how to discuss COVID-19 and the vaccine with those who have rejected science.
Dr. Bricker encouraged people to talk to friends and relatives who are “vaccine-hesitant,” figure out what they believe, try to develop a rapport with them, and find an area of agreement somewhere in the conversation. Either agree to take the vaccine, agree to find out more information about it, or agree to continue the conversation into the future, he said.
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, sent out this statement about the vaccinations:
“This is an historic moment and marks the beginning of our return to normal as the first COVID-19 vaccine was administered in Kansas. The incredible success of Operation Warp Speed is an example of the exceptionalism that exists within American science and medicine. While we still have a long road ahead, Kansans will soon have access to this safe and effective vaccine.
“Additionally, I encourage all Kansans to continue to take precautions to keep yourself and your families safe, including wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and frequently washing your hands. I also want to thank the health care workers who continue to care for Kansans across our state throughout this pandemic.”
At the University of Kansas Health System on Monday, the number of COVID-19 patients in the hospital declined to 82 active patients as compared to 101 on Friday, according to Dr. Hawkinson.
There were 37 patients in the intensive care unit, a decrease from 45 Friday, with 24 of them on ventilators Monday, a decrease from 27 on Friday.
In addition, there were another 76 patients Monday hospitalized with COVID-19, but in the recovery phase, an increase from 68 on Friday. There was a total 158 COVID-19 patients, a decrease from 167 on Friday.
Also, HaysMed in Hays, Kansas, reported 26 COVID-19 patients on Monday, a decline from 32 on Friday, with 21 of them active patients and five in the recovery phase.
COVID-19 case numbers
Wyandotte County reported a cumulative 12,717 COVID-19 cases on Monday, an increase of 47 since Sunday. There were no additional deaths reported, with the cumulative total the same as Sunday, at 184.
Kansas reported an additional 4,724 COVID-19 cases from Friday to Monday, with a cumulative total of 190,018, according to figures from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were an additional 37 deaths statewide, for a cumulative total of 2,109.
The Mid-America Regional Council Kansas City Region COVID-19 data hub reported an additional 1,635 cases in the nine-county Kansas City region, for a cumulative total of 106,667. There were a cumulative 1,234 deaths reported. The average number of new hospitalizations was 177, down from Sunday.
Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 16,519,616 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States on Monday, and 300,479 cumulative deaths.
Free COVID-19 testing available Tuesday
Free COVID-19 testing is available from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, at All Saints parish, 811 Vermont Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
The tests are through the Wyandotte County Helath Equity Task Force and Vibrant Health.
The Unified Government Health Department has moved its COVID-19 testing from the 6th and Ann location to the former Kmart at 78th and State Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. The hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Tests are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County. The tests are now saliva COVID-19 tests.
The tests now are open to asymptomatic people as well as those who have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. Check with the UG Health Department’s Facebook page to see if there have been any changes in the schedule. Bring something that shows that you live or work in Wyandotte County, such as a utility bill.
Additional testing sites are at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19.
The KU doctors’ news conference is online at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/757665195098508.
For more information about the testing site at the former Kmart location, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/10092020_newtestingsitewyco.pdf.
The KDHE vaccine report is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1664/COVID-19-Vaccine-Updates-1292020-.
Cards and letters of encouragement for caregivers at KU Health System may be sent to Share Joy, care of Patient Relations, 4000 Cambridge St., Mailstop 1021, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160. Emails can be sent to [email protected].
Wyandotte County is under a mandatory mask and social distancing order. Also, the Wyandotte County health order with a limit of 10 persons to a gathering, and a closing time of 10 p.m. for restaurants and bars, with other new restrictions, is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/11162020localhealthorderexecuted.pdf.
The UG COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.
The KDHE’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.
The KC Region COVID-19 Hub dashboard is at https://marc2.org/covidhub/.
The Wyandotte County page on the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 website is at https://bao.arcgis.com/covid-19/jhu/county/20209.html.
The CDC’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.