The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced that effective Friday Kansas providers may now administer an additional dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised and have already been fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.
This follows Thursday’s expansion of the emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration for these mRNA vaccines, and Friday’s recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and acceptance by the CDC director.
This EUA does not apply to those who received the Janssen or J&J vaccine as there is currently not enough data to determine if an additional dose of Janssen or J&J vaccine will improve immune response in people who are immunocompromised.
“The data shows us that the vaccine efficacy in some people who are immunocompromised is significantly lower than in people who are not immunocompromised,” said Dr. Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. “Additionally, people who are immunocompromised make up to 44% of hospitalized breakthrough cases in the United States. This additional dose may enhance the immunity for those who need extra protection from COVID-19.”
This additional dose is recommended for people who are moderately and severely immunocompromised due to a health condition or medical treatment. This includes
• Active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies
• Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy
• Receipt of CAR-T-Cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Active treatments with high-dose corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, TNF blockers and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory
KDHE continues to urge people who are immunocompromised, including those who receive an additional dose of mRNA vaccine, to continue to follow prevention measures including
• Wear a mask
• Stay six feet apart from others they don’t live with
• Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces
Close contacts of immunocompromised people are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Medical professionals on a recent University of Kansas Health System medical update said they thought that those who are immunocompromised and want a third dose of vaccine should contact their own doctors.
Free vaccines available
Free COVID-19 vaccines will be available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday at the Kmart vaccination site, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Vaccines are free for people ages 12 and older. There are gifts available, and a “Spin to Win” promotion is ongoing for Wyandotte County residents, as supplies last.
For more information on the Unified Government Health Department’s vaccine schedule, see WycoVaccines.org.
Back-to-school childhood immunizations will be available from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Aug. 18, and Aug. 25 at the Kmart vaccination site, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. These free immunizations are for children without health insurance or for children who are insured through KanCare (Medicaid). Parents should bring children’s vaccination records.
Cross-Lines Community Outreach will hold a free vaccine and testing event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, at 736 Shawnee Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccines will be available. Another free vaccine and testing event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 26, at Cross-Lines, 736 Shawnee Ave. These events are being held in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Oak Ridge Baptist Church, 9301 Parallel Parkway, plans free testing and COVID vaccinations from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22.
Mobile vaccines can still be requested online at WycoVaccines.org or by calling 3-1-1 (913-573-5311).
Other sites available for vaccinations
Some doctors’ offices offer COVID-19 vaccinations. If you haven’t received your vaccination yet, call your doctor’s office to see if it is available now.
Free vaccinations at KU Health System are open to the public. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to make an appointment to get vaccinated. KU Health System currently is vaccinating residents of Kansas and Missouri who are 12 or older, by appointment only. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the appointment.
There are also pharmacies giving free COVID-19 vaccinations in Wyandotte County by appointment, when available. These include Price Chopper and Hen House pharmacies, which are now also accepting walk-in vaccinations or appointments, and are starting vaccinations for age 12 and up at those pharmacies that are giving Pfizer vaccine (see https://www.ballsfoodspharmacy.com/).
CVS has announced walk-in appointments for COVID-19 vaccine at some of its stores. Those interested in getting a vaccination at a CVS pharmacy are asked to visit a CVS website in order to make sure there is vaccine available. The website is at www.cvs.com/. Walgreens and Walmart also were listed on www.vaccines.gov as giving vaccinations.
Other pharmacies and sites giving vaccines are listed at www.vaccines.gov. The website also tells whether vaccines are in stock at the locations.
Case numbers reported
The University of Kansas Health System reported a slight drop in the number of COVID inpatients on Friday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. Forty-five patients with the active virus were inpatients on Friday, a decrease of two from Thursday. Six of the patients had been vaccinated. Seventeen COVID patients were in the intensive care unit, a decrease of two from Thursday. One of the ICU patients was on ECMO, a machine that helps the lungs work. Twelve patients were on ventilators, an increase of one from Thursday.
Wyandotte County reported a cumulative 21,183 cases on Friday, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 317 deaths reported.
On Wednesday, Aug. 11, the Unified Government Health Department reported that 43.63 percent of Wyandotte County residents had received at least one dose of vaccine. Those completing their vaccinations totaled about 36.61 percent.
The percentage of Wyandotte County residents who were age 12 and older who had received at least one dose was 53.7 percent.
The Mid-America Regional Council on Friday reported 186,435 cases in Greater Kansas City, a nine-county area. There were a total of 2,516 deaths. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 154.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 347,928 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Friday, Aug. 13, an increase of 2,991 since Wednesday, Aug. 11. There was a total of 5,385 cumulative deaths reported statewide, an increase of 99 since Aug. 11.
The KDHE reported 66,044 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Johnson County on Aug. 13, an increase of 2,614 since Aug. 11. Leavenworth County had 8,500 cases, an increase of 98 since Aug. 11. Sedgwick County (the Wichita area) reported 62,589 cases, an increase of 543 since Aug. 11.
On Friday, there were a cumulative 36,597,745 COVID-19 cases in the United States, with cumulative 621,016 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
There were 654,350 vaccine doses reported administered Thursday in the U.S., with 51 percent of the population fully vaccinated.
Countries with rising numbers of COVID-19 cases included U.S., 116,550; India, 40,120; Brazil, 39,982; Iran, 39,049; and United Kingdom, 32,885.
Free testing available
Free COVID-19 testing is available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday at the UG Health Department’s central location, the former Kmart, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Free gift cards are available to those who get a test, while supplies last.
Free testing is also available from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays at Vibrant Health Cordell D. Meeks Jr. Clinic, 4313 State Ave.
Free COVID tests also are being held at the Kansas National Guard Armory, including tests from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at 100 S. 20th St., Kansas City, Kansas. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
Besides Health Department sites, COVID-19 testing is available at several locations in Wyandotte County.
Visit gogettested.com/Kansas and https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19 for more sites.
Wyandotte County residents may contact the Health Department at wycohelp.org to sign up for a test to be delivered to their home.
For more details about free COVID-19 testing offered by the UG Health Department, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19, https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept or call 3-1-1.
To view the new mask order in Kansas City, Kansas, visit https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/mask-mandate-resolution-r-47-21-effective-august-6-through-september-16-2021.pdf and https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/ug-issues-mask-order-for-kck-and-other-portions-of-wyco.pdf.