With the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine starting to roll out on Monday, nursing home staff and some residents can expect to start getting the vaccine as soon as Dec. 28.
Nursing home staff and residents are at the top of the list to get vaccines, along with front-line health care workers, according to doctors at a news conference Monday morning at the University of Kansas Health System, Kansas City, Kansas.
The federal government created partnerships with pharmacies to give the vaccines, and CVS and Walgreens will provide vaccines to most of the nursing homes in the nation, said Dr. Jessica Kalender-Rich, a physician in the geriatrics field at KU Health System, and a member of the national Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes.
Every nursing facility in the nation had a deadline to sign up to choose a pharmacy to be a partner. Some decided to stay with the home pharmacy they always use, but most chose CVS or Walgreens to be the partner for the vaccine, she said.
As the vaccines are received by the pharmacies, they will schedule three clinic dates at each facility, she said. The pharmacy staff will come in to the facility, give the vaccines and observe the persons who receive them, she said. Then they will follow up with a second and third clinic date if needed, she said.
The nursing facilities are setting up a space for the vaccines, and no one has to leave to get a vaccine, she said. Everyone who works in the building can be vaccinated there, she said.
“We know that nursing home residents are the highest risk people when they get COVID-19, but also the highest risk of being exposed, because of their congregate living situation,” Dr. Kalender-Rich said.
“So as we work together to help prevent disease and prevent spread within the facility, we also prevent spread and patients coming to the health systems, leaving more room for other folks that may need that care,” she said.
She said they are doing everything they can to prevent any viral transmission, including infection control practices. Vaccines are one step in the pathway of getting back to visitors, she added.
A CVS spokesman stated Monday that vaccinations at nursing homes in Kansas City, Kansas, would begin on Dec. 28, according to CDC and state guidelines.
The CVS nursing home vaccination effort in Kansas and Missouri will serve more than 600 long-term care facilities in Missouri and 360 in Kansas, according to the CVS spokesman.They could vaccinate as many as 100,000 Missouri and 40,000 Kansas nursing home residents and staff. The CVS spokesman stated they are preparing to offer vaccinations for the public at their clinics, subject to state directives.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at KU Health System, said the federal government works with the state and they are trying to allocate vaccines in an equitable manner. Supply is very limited and the demand is high at this time, he added.
Dr. Kalender-Rich said nursing home residents’ vulnerability and inability to stay home, distance and wear a mask put them at the top of the list for the vaccine. They are seeing them at the top of the list around the world, she said.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System, said they need to vaccinate the health care workers and nursing home residents. The CDC this past weekend broadened the next category to health care workers, essential workers and those over 75 years old, he said.
Dr. Kalender-Rich said they have not heard the notification process yet for vaccinations for people 75 and up who are living at home, but it is likely that it could be through health departments at the county level. Clinics would be set up where people could register by phone or the internet and then get vaccinated, she added.
As KU Health Services gets more doses of vaccine this week, they are starting to roll it out to more health care workers at the hospital, according to Dr. Hawkinson. He didn’t get his vaccine yet, and said he wanted the vaccines to go to the highest risk first. He plans to get the vaccine a little later. He added he will still have to wear his mask and distance, even when he gets a vaccine. Dr. Hawkinson also said he was in support of the nation’s leaders getting the vaccine early.
As a matter of public policy, those who should be vaccinated first are the most vulnerable, Dr. Stites said. They will be the ones who will get the sickest in the hospital, he said.
“If you’ll wear PPE and follow the rules of infection control, you can stay safe, “ Dr. Stites said. “By this time next year, we should be in really good shape.”
But trying to jump to the head of the line, displacing someone with vulnerabilities, sounds goofy to him, he added. He said those who are most vulnerable and those who they need to protect should be at the front of the line.
People may feel left out at first because there isn’t enough vaccine right now, he said, Until they get more vaccine, it may be a little difficult. That can be helped by being united and just sticking to the principle of giving the vaccine first to the most vulnerable, Dr. Stites said.
Nursing homes here hit hard by pandemic
Nursing homes in Wyandotte County have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The nursing home that was most adversely affected here was Riverbend, where there were over 130 COVID-19 cases and 36 deaths. Riverbend is not currently on the Wyandotte County outbreak map.
The Wyandotte County COVID-19 outbreak map on Monday listed 76 COVID-19 cases at the Piper Assisted Living center, with 16 deaths.
Edwardsville Care and Rehab had 50 COVID-19 cases, according to the outbreak map.
Some other nursing homes in the county were previously on the outbreak map, but have since dropped off. (See outbreak map at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/.)
Leaders receiving vaccines
The nation’s leaders including Vice President Mike Pence, President-elect Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas have recently gotten their COVID-19 vaccines on camera to show people that it is safe to get the vaccines.
“After more than forty years of service to Kansas, as a final act of bipartisan goodwill, Senator Roberts agreed to share this video of his vaccination at my request,” Gov. Laura Kelly said in a news release. “When it’s your turn, be like Senator Roberts and get your vaccine. It’s safe, effective, and will keep you and your loved ones protected from COVID-19.”
Sen. Roberts spoke directly to the people of Kansas, as a nurse prepared his arm for vaccination, and advocated for Kansans to get the vaccine once it is available and “practice some good things” by wearing masks and following other health guidelines.
“Folks—get the vaccine. I know some people have worries about it,” U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts said. “This is really going to help us get on top with this dreaded disease that has hurt us so much. And then afterward, practice some good things.”
“Take the vaccine just like I’m doing right now,” U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts said. “Thank you for the privilege of representing you the last 40 years. It’s been a privilege, thank you.”
Senator Roberts also noted that the Kansas federal delegation has been working closely with Gov. Kelly to provide relief and support to the state for its COVID-19 pandemic response efforts.
The video of Sen. Roberts receiving his vaccination is at https://fb.watch/2wOdkgg0q-/.
COVID-19 case numbers
The University of Kansas Health System reported 79 active COVID-19 patients at the hospital on Monday morning, with an increase of one from Friday, according to Dr. Hawkinson. There were 30 patients in the intensive care unit, a decrease of five from Friday, with 22 of the ICU patients on ventilators, a decrease of four from Friday. There were 59 COVID-19 patients in the recovery phase who were still in the hospital, 12 less than Friday. There were a total of 138 COVID-19 patients, 11 less than Friday.
HaysMed in Hays, Kansas, reported 27 total COVID-19 patients on Monday, an increase of two from Friday. Sixteen of them were active patients and 11 were in the recovery phase.
Wyandotte County reported a cumulative 13,387 COVID-19 cases on Monday, an increase of 49 cases since Sunday, according to the Unified Government COVID-19 webpage. There were no additional deaths reported, for a cumulative 190.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s Kansas City Region COVID-19 Data Hub reported an increase of 1,491 COVID-19 cases on Monday, for a cumulative 113,689 in the nine-county area. The average daily COVID-19 hospitalization rate was 158, down slightly from Sunday. There were 1,327 cumulative deaths in the nine-county area.
Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Monday reported 18,034,214 cases in the United States, with 319,363 deaths.
Free COVID-19 testing available Tuesday
Free COVID-19 testing is available from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday at All Saints parish, 811 Vermont Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
The pop-up test is sponsored by the Wyandotte County Health 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. There are holiday hours this week. They are open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The test site is open from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Dec. 24, and closed Dec. 25.
Tests are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County. The tests are nasopharyngeal swab tests. The Health Department no longer uses saliva 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.
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.
For more test sites, also see https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.
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 KU doctors’ news conference is online at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/216714849907048.
To see information about the UG giving vaccines to health care workers, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/ug-to-start-giving-covid-19-vaccines-to-health-department-and-ems-personnel-next-week/.
The KDHE vaccine report is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1677/Vaccine-Update-12-16-20.
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.