Kansas expects to receive doses of the new Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine soon, Gov. Laura Kelly told local elected officials on Friday.
Gov. Kelly said it was possible to have close to 25,000 doses of Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine coming to Kansas next week, in addition to more Moderna and Pfizer doses. Johnson and Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine moved closer to emergency use authorization from the FDA on Friday after a favorable report.
The new vaccine is much easier to store and requires only one dose, Gov. Kelly added. They will be able to deploy it much more efficiently and open up to a wider swath of Kansans, she said.
She said they are working on where distribution will occur, taking into consideration where the one-dose approach would make the most sense. She added distribution would be targeted across the state.
She made her remarks during a conference call with local leaders throughout the state.
“Following today’s positive advisory committee meeting outcome regarding the Janssen Biotech Inc. COVID-19 Vaccine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has informed the sponsor that it will rapidly work toward finalization and issuance of an emergency use authorization,” the FDA stated in a news release on Friday (https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-statement-vaccines-and-related-biological-products-advisory-committee-meeting-1).
Dr. Lee Norman, Kansas secretary of health, said preliminary data about the Johnson and Johnson vaccine suggested 66 percent effectiveness in preventing the COVID-19 illness. Some of the other earlier COVID-19 vaccines had high effectiveness rates after two doses.
When discussing the flu vaccine, he said many vaccines are in the 30 to 40 percent effectiveness range, and a blockbuster would be 70 percent. The polio vaccine was 80 percent or less effective and led to near global eradication of the disease, he added.
People getting the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, if they contract the illness, are not likely to have serious illness, are less likely to be hospitalized and should not die, Dr. Norman said. “That is not trivial,” he added.
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is not a MRNA vaccine, he said, but is a more traditional vaccine, made similar to other existing vaccines.
“I think people will want to get it now,” Dr. Norman said. The benefits of getting it now, if it is available, outweigh waiting until some point in the future, he said.
Dr. Norman told the local leaders that the weather caused a delay in vaccine shipments last week as people who work in the plants couldn’t get to work. The state was told that they will get the shipments, and it appears that is being done, he said.
The KDHE’s vaccine weekly report stated that next week, the state is projected to get 32,760 Pfizer first doses, 22,230 Pfizer second doses; 27,800 Moderna first doses, and 25,700 Moderna second doses. The state is still in Phase 2 of the vaccination program. The KDHE determines how much vaccine is sent to each local health department, and the health departments determine which groups within Phase 2 will go first, within the state’s guidelines.
According to the KDHE vaccine report, some rural counties were receiving a higher rate per capita than some urban counties. To make distribution more equitable, the state will decrease the number of counties receiving vaccine, with some counties receiving it every other week. This could affect about 30 counties.
In other vaccine news, Dr. Norman said the FDA announced Thursday that the Pfizer vaccine, which has been held at very cold temperatures, could be stored at conventional temperatures found in pharmacy freezers for two weeks. It’s a big deal, he said, because that makes the vaccine easier to manage, with less risk of spoilage and very little waste.
He said the KDHE should get enough vaccine to meet its goal of vaccinating kindergarten through 12th grade teachers in a week or so from now.
Case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths are declining in Kansas, he said. Many hospitals in the state have just a handful of COVID-19 patients now, he said.
Major Gen. David Weishaar, adjutant general of Kansas, of the Kansas Emergency Management Division, reported that Kansas has 54 active National Guard members working across the state, and the number will increase next week as vaccination teams are added. The National Guard members should help reduce the strain on the local communities. It will potentially increase the medical capacity of some counties, he said.
UG Health Department begins information outreach campaign on vaccines
The Unified Government Health Department has begun an informational outreach campaign about vaccines, according to an announcement Friday.
The UG has some new public service announcement that it will air, encouraging people to visit their new vaccine page, www.WyCoVaccines.org. The spots will begin on March 1.
“These public service announcements are a key part of our communications outreach to Wyandotte County residents, to encourage them to get the facts about COVID-19 vaccines,” said Juliann Van Liew, director of the Unified Government Public Health Department, in a news release. “We understand that there is a lot of misinformation out there about the vaccines, and we want to help people get the facts, not the rumors. Through this campaign, our website, our community partnerships, and our other communications and outreach efforts, we aim to dispel myths and provide information to help folks make the most informed decision possible about getting the vaccine.”
The public service announcements are in English and Spanish, at 15-second and 30-second lengths.
The spots feature Wyandotte County area workers and residents, including a teacher, local business owners, a faith leader, a transit employee, a grocery store worker, a bartender and a health care worker.
The public service announcements can be seen at https://wdrv.it/3e3cf7c60.
COVID-19 case numbers reported
The total number of COVID-19 active and recovering COVID-19 patients at the University of Kansas Health System was 55 on Friday, an increase of one from Thursday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. There were 23 active COVID-19 patients in the hospital, a decrease of one from Thursday. Ten of those patients were in the intensive care unit, an increase of two from Thursday. Two of those were on ventilators, a decrease of four from Thursday. There were another 32 patients hospitalized because of COVID-19 who were out of the acute phase, an increase of two since Thursday.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 108 COVID-19 cases on Friday, Feb. 26, for a cumulative 17,658 cases. There was a cumulative total of 269 deaths reported, an increase of four since Thursday.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 154,429 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Friday. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 96.
The state of Kansas reported 293,663 COVID-19 cases statewide on Friday, an increase of 826 cases since Wednesday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were an additional 11 deaths reported, with a cumulative total of 4,735.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Friday night reported 28,486,382 cases in the United States, with 510,458 total deaths nationwide.
COVID-19 tests scheduled Saturday
The Pierson Community Center COVID-19 testing site at 831 S. 55th is open at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27. Appointments are required, check with the website, www.gogettested.com/Kansas, for available appointment times.
Unified Government COVID-19 testing and vaccine sites are scheduled to be open on Monday. Those seeking vaccinations need to have an appointment, while those seeking COVID-19 testing may walk in and get a test kit.
The Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 test site at the former Kmart building at 78th and State will be open Monday, March 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are not needed for COVID-19 tests there on Monday. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
The Health Department is offering saliva COVID-19 tests to the public.
Tests from the Health Department are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County.
The tests 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.
Wyandotte County residents who are interested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine may fill out a survey form at the UG Health Department at https://us.openforms.com/Form/2f2bcc68-3b6a-450b-9007-d39819db6572. Residents will be contacted to make an appointment when vaccine becomes available. The Health Department currently is vaccinating high-contact critical workers, as well as residents over 65.
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.
Saliva testing is now offered at the UG Health Department. For more information, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/02042021-ugphd-saliva-testing-available.pdf.
The KU doctors’ news conference is online at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/2931897000469224.
The University of Kansas Health System COVID-19 update page is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/806512689941175.
For more information about how Wyandotte County residents over 85 can get a vaccine at the Health Department site, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/02032021_wycovaccinationsage85.pdf.
A weekly vaccine report for the state of Kansas is at
https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/DocumentCenter/View/123/Vaccine-Historical-Document-22521?bidId=.
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.
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 Johns Hopkins Data in Motion, a presentation on critical COVID-19 data in the past 24 hours, is at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/covid-19-daily-video.