Wyandotte County’s COVID-19 vaccination strategy, when more vaccine is available, will be to have three large vaccination sites in the county, according to Unified Government Health Department officials.
In a report to the Unified Government Commission at a 5 p.m. meeting Thursday, Jan. 28, Health Department Director Juliann Van Liew said the sites include the one currently operating at a former Kmart building at 78th and State; a western site at the former Best Buy store at 10500 Parallel Parkway at Plaza at the Speedway; and a site in eastern Wyandotte County.
The former Best Buy site will open next week, she said.
“We would be ready to start actually inoculating folks there on Monday, but we just don’t have enough vaccine to do that,” she said. “But we are pre-staffed and ready next week if we start to receive larger quantities of vaccine.”
Plans are to open the eastern site the week after the western site, she added. She did not name the eastern site at the Jan. 28 meeting, but a possible eastern site was mentioned by health officials on Jan. 22 as the Kansas National Guard Armory, although all the plans were not final at that time (see https://wyandotteonline.com/key-workers-to-have-priority-in-phase-2-vaccine-distribution-in-wyandotte-county/).
The Health Department plans to announce more details later about the openings of the two additional sites, she said. They plan to have varying hours, she said.
They also plan to engage the health systems, hospitals, pharmacies and providers, she said. Later, they will be really key to the effort, she said.
When the vaccine becomes available to most people, they will probably need to drive some people to their primary care physicians and pharmacies, but they think that’s still a couple months off, she said. For now, through the next couple of months, they will be driving people to the Health Department vaccination sites, she said.
The Health Department also is going to develop teams to bring the vaccination to places such as jails, and people with disabilities in congregate settings, and other special circumstances, according to Van Liew.
They also are working to identify transportation options for the public, she said.
In addition, they are using information from a community survey to get information to people that is straightforward and culturally appropriate, she said.
Their main challenge is the vaccine supply, which is low, she said.
The other real challenge is visibility, as they only found out on a Saturday night that 2,000 doses would be coming this week between Monday and Wednesday, which was very difficult for scheduling, she said.
Van Liew said they’re very hopeful that the plans of the Biden administration to get information to them three weeks at a time as to how much vaccine they’ll receive will materialize shortly.
They also are battling misinformation and distrust, she said, and working with employers to disseminate information. They are conducting focus groups and engaging with various sectors, she said.
It is a challenge finding enough staff for the three clinics. They have medical students and pharmacy students to help with staffing the three vaccination sites, as well as volunteers, she said.
Reaching non-English speaking residents and workers has been another challenge and they have been working with Spanish-speaking media as well as with social service agencies in the community, she said.
The Health Department originally was receiving the Moderna vaccine and began receiving Pfizer last week, Van Liew said.
Last week, they received 975 doses from the KDHE, this week they received 1,950 Pfizer doses and next week they are scheduled to receive 1,950 doses, Van Liew said.
“That’s very slim,” Van Liew said.
They have received some additional doses from local partners, including Vibrant Health, the University of Kansas Health System, Swope Health and Family Healthcare, she said. They were estimated at about 2,800.
“It really is a community effort here to try to share doses, get them to the people who need them the most, who are at highest risk, but at the end of the day, it has continued to be a really limited quantity for the population size we have,” she said.
Van Liew said they have completed vaccines for the Health Department, the EMS staff, the large majority of health care workers in Wyandotte County and the large majority of public safety workers, as well.
Under the governor’s vaccination plan, there are an estimated 40,000 to 60,000 people in phase 2 in Wyandotte County, she said. Phase 2, which they are now in, includes persons 65 and older, congregate settings and high-contact critical workers. Wyandotte County’s population was 165,429 in 2019.
“If you have 2,000 vaccines, how do you decide among 50,000 people who gets those?” Van Liew asked.
They had to do additional prioritizing here, and have prioritized kindergarten through 12th grade teachers, child care workers, public transit workers, motor vehicle division workers, U.S. Postal Service workers, and next week they will move into vaccinating grocery, food service and food processing workers, she said.
“We made this decision because these are all very essential functions in our community that must be done face-to-face and cannot be done at home,” Van Liew said.
It’s important to have children in the classroom, they can’t go without public transportation and the postal service, she said. There have been a fair number of clusters in the grocery, food service and food processing sectors, she added, and they are at some risk.
They know it’s difficult for the older residents of the community who are seeing their peers in different states and communities being vaccinated before them, she said.
“We want folks to know that we are very, very soon going to move into our older population as well,” Van Liew said. Next week they will begin scheduling vaccinations for those 80 and up, she said.
They will work their way down to the 70-year-olds and 65-year-olds the week after that, she added.
Residents may fill out a vaccine interest form on the Health Department’s website at www.ughealth.info/Vaccine, she said. Or residents may call 3-1-1 to give the information to the Health Department. Residents will be contacted when they are eligible to get the vaccine, she said. Appointments are needed to get the vaccines.
The Health Department has started sending messages to those who have signed up or filled out the form so they continually get information from them, she said. They will get to them as soon as they have enough vaccine to do so.
UG Commissioner Jane Philbrook encouraged everyone to get a vaccination. She has received both the vaccination and the booster, as she sees people within six feet at work every day as an optometrist. She said she doesn’t want to get COVID-19.
“I don’t want it and I don’t want any of your family to get it,” she remarked.
Commissioner Harold Johnson asked if they had ever run out of vaccine, and Van Liew said they had one day last week.
Johnson said they will probably have to use the same type of outreach to encourage vaccinations in communities of color that they used to increase testing for COVID-19.
Van Liew said the way to start on that is to get access to data on who’s being vaccinated, according to race and ethnicities. Earlier this week, they weren’t getting access to data except at their own Health Department, she said. The state now has decided to allow them to get access to others being vaccinated at other sites in Wyandotte County, so they can compile data totals and put it on their website.
Dr. Erin Corriveau, deputy health officer for Wyandotte County, said as part of the outreach efforts, members of the Health Equity Task Force are letting everyone know they are getting the vaccine, and that it is safe.
Dr. Corriveau said there were some rises in case numbers at the end of the year, but now they are seeing a drop-off. The seven-day rolling average is 48 cases per day, she said. Average tests per day in the county now are around 530, which is lower than what they’d like to see, she added.
Currently, the percent positivity rate is 26 percent, which is down from 40 percent three weeks ago, she said.
The number of regional hospitalizations is decreasing, she said
She said a community survey given by the Health Department was encouraging. Almost 90 percent of those surveyed believed that COVID-19 was serious, she said.
Over 70 percent said they would get a vaccine if one was available.
Those who did not want to get a vaccine were mostly concerned about what would happen to them, such as side effects.
She said the survey showed that people want to see others they know in the community getting the vaccine. As a result, the Health Equity Task Force members are putting their stories on social media.
Dr. Corriveau said the vaccine is free to everyone in Wyandotte County.
The survey also showed that part of the community wants it brought to them. The two additional vaccination sites will mean that vaccines will be closer to many in the community. The survey also showed people were interested in nontraditional hours, such as weekends and evenings to get the vaccines, she added.
Dr. Allen Greiner, chief medical officre for Wyandotte County, answered frequently asked questions about the vaccine, and said he feels the vaccines are safe and have been tested on thousands of people.
Even after the second Moderna shot, it takes about two weeks for the body to produce enough antibodies for full protection, Dr. Greiner said.
People who have had the vaccine can still get COVID-19, and can spread it to someone else, which is why they have to wear masks and socially distance, he said.
Dr. Greiner asked people who have any symptoms, such as a cold, sore throat, congestion and cough, to get tested for COVID-19, so they can better gauge the spread of the disease in the community
More vaccines in pipeline
Doctors at the University of Kansas Health System news conference on Thursday morning discussed the probability of more vaccines being available in the coming months.
According to Dr. Kevin Ault, an obstetrician who serves as a member of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, three vaccines are now on track to be considered by the FDA. The committee held an emergency meeting on Wednesday.
Johnson and Johnson is developing a vaccine that is only one dose and needs refrigeration but not freezing, according to Dr. Ault. They have scheduled a news conference next week.
Because it doesn’t need to be kept at ultra-cold temperatures, he said the Johnson and Johnson vaccine can be more easily given at a doctor’s office, which most patients prefer.
Also developing COVID-19 vaccines are AstraZeneca and Novavax, he said.
Dr. Ault said pediatric clinical trials are being held for the COVID-19 vaccine, including some at Children’s Mercy Hospital.
He also said if a patient is pregnant, she should follow her doctor’s advice, as there is no recommendation that fits everyone.
Dr. Ault said 1 million people per day are receiving the COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccines are the way out of the pandemic, he said.
Also at the morning news conference, Dr. Roy Jensen, director of the KU Cancer Center, discussed a letter from cancer centers throughout the nation that encouraged annual cancer screenings.
Putting off cancer screenings for just six months could result in 10,000 more cancer deaths in the next 10 years because of delayed diagnoses, he said.
He advised everyone to keep up with their screenings. He also advocated for cancer patients to be prioritized to receive the vaccine.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System, explained how the health system vaccinated about 70 percent of its staff, but some of the staff didn’t accept the vaccine. The health system then used that extra vaccine to vaccinate some of its patients and a little of the public. If they had more, they would vaccinate more people, but currently, there isn’t enough for everyone, he said. He encouraged everyone who is offered the vaccine to get it.
COVID-19 case numbers reported
The University of Kansas Health System reported 54 active COVID-19 patients in the hospital Thursday, a decrease of six since Wednesday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. There were 11 patients in the intensive care unit, no change from Wednesday, and nine of the ICU patients were on ventilators on Thursday, a decrease of one since Wednesday. There were an additional 51 COVID-19 patients hospitalized who were out of the acute phase, a decrease of one since Wednesday. There was a total of 105 COVID-19 patients, a decrease of seven since Wednesday.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 41 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, Jan. 28, according to the Unified Government’s COVID-19 webpage. There were a cumulative 16,877 cases. There was a cumulative total of 221 deaths, the same as Wednesday.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 146,206 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. There were 1,834 cumulative deaths, and 137 was the daily average of new hospitalizations.
The state of Kansas reported 272,517 COVID-19 cases statewide on Wednesday, an increase of 3,262 cases since Monday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were an additional 96 deaths reported, with a cumulative total of 3,718.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Thursday night reported 25,766,724 total cumulative cases in the United States, with 433,195 total deaths nationwide.
Free COVID-19 testing available Friday
COVID-19 tests will be available Friday, Jan. 29, at the Pierson Community Center parking lot, 1800 S. 55th St., Kansas City, Kansas. Hours are subject to change depending on the weather and other factors. These tests are through WellHealth Management. Appointments are required. For more information and to schedule a test, visit www.GoGetTested.com/Kansas.
The Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 test site at the former Kmart building at 78th and State will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29. Appointments are not needed for tests. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
The UG Health Department recently added flu testing to the COVID-19 test at the Kmart building. Only one swab is used for the two tests. The Health Department estimates a two- to three-day wait for COVID-19 results. For the flu, the department only contacts people if it is positive.
Tests from the Health Department 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 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.
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 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 UG Health Department report at the UG Commission meeting Jan. 28 is online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biTGBoAMAOI.
The KU doctors’ news conference is online at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/800747960519894.
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The new health order on hours for bars and restaurants is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/localhealthofficerorder011221.pdf.
Information about the new health order on extended hours for bars and restaurants is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/01112021ugissuesnewbarrestaurantorder.pdf.
The school health order is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/localhealthofficerschoolorder01042021.pdf.
A letter explaining the school health order is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/schoolletter_01052021_english.pdf.
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.kansasvaccine.gov/DocumentCenter/View/123/Vaccine-Historical-Document-12121?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.