It’s getting easier to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
As vaccine supply increases and demand wanes, residency rules in Kansas are being dropped.
More people now will be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine at the Unified Government Health Department vaccine sites, according to Janell Friesen, a Health Department spokesman.
Anyone who is 16 or older now can get the COVID-19 vaccine for free at any Health Department vaccination site, regardless of where they live or work, she said. That means residents of other counties and Missouri residents also can get the vaccine in Wyandotte County, she said.
“Getting more and more people vaccinated is the best opportunity we have to control and stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” said Juliann Van Liew, director of the Unified Government Public Health Department, in a news release. “We’re pleased to be able to offer these free COVID-19 vaccines to anyone who is 16 years and older, regardless of where they live or work, and that includes people who live outside of Kansas.”
Vaccinations here are improving over time, but there is still a ways to go in terms of getting people vaccinated in the community, Friesen said. Wyandotte County residents’ vaccination rates are low compared to a lot of counties in Kansas, and while they are getting better, there is still work to do on it, she added.
The vaccination rates here will be updated on Wednesday afternoon. Last Wednesday’s figures showed about 27 percent of residents with at least one dose of vaccine, and 17 percent of residents who completed their vaccination series.
“We have to bring those numbers up to get closer to herd immunity,” she said, so everyone could get back to more activities that they’d like to return to. They are making progress but there is still more to do.
Wyandotte County is not alone in seeing a slowdown in the number of people getting vaccinated recently, she said. A lot of communities are experiencing the same thing.
The Health Department is addressing vaccine hesitancy, determining how they can work on it and continue to make vaccines accessible, and answer people who have questions, she said. The Health Department wants to make sure they address people’s questions and concerns, working to help them see that many people safely got the vaccine, to make sure they understand the process and how it works.
There are a wide variety of reasons for vaccine hesitancy, Friesen said.
Some people are hesitant because the vaccines are new. The vaccines have undergone rigorous testing and monitoring, but some people want to wait and see how it goes with others before they get vaccinated.
Part of the vaccine hesitancy has to do with a certain amount of distrust of the medical community and government, she said. Segments of the community have been mistreated and unjustly treated in the past, and understandably, some portions of the community might not want to be the first in line, she added.
“We are going to do some focus groups with community members who are unsure about the vaccinations, try to better understand how people are feeling about that right now, and what are the primary questions people have, so we can better address them,” she said.
There has also been some vaccine hesitancy among younger adults in their 20s and 30s, she said. Some are healthy and not worried about getting a vaccine, she said. They may be asking why they need to get a vaccine.
Also, another reason some residents haven’t gotten a vaccine in the past is that they had to work during the hours the clinic was open, she said. Now, the Health Department clinic at the former Best Buy is open from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursdays and the clinic at the former Kmart is open from noon to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays to accommodate people who want earlier or later hours. Also, the clinic at the Kansas National Guard Armory is open on Saturdays in May.
Also making it easier to get a vaccination, the Health Department is offering transportation for residents who don’t have a ride to the vaccine clinics, she said. The Health Department also can travel to a place where a homebound patient wants to be vaccinated.
“We are going to keep working on ways to make vaccinations more accessible,” she said.
There is currently a partnership with Children’s Mercy Hospital to start going into the high schools in the area, and the Health Department is working with schools to set up scheduling to vaccinate students 16 to 18 years old, she said.
Now that Johnson and Johnson vaccine has been cleared by the CDC, FDA and Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Health Department will have it available to use again, Friesen said. Currently, the Health Department is using Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in day-to-day usage at the vaccination clinics, she added. Johnson and Johnson will be available for mobile vaccination units, she added, which could bring vaccines to a site.
The CDC’s vaccinefinder.org shows that vaccine sites in Wyandotte County have been expanding. Several pharmacies now are listed among the vaccine sites, along with some clinics. Swope Health and Vibrant Health, doctors’ office settings, pharmacy and other providers are offering vaccines.
Some private health care offices, such as Dr. Sharon Lee’s medical clinic on Southwest Boulevard, and Dr. Colleen Nguyen’s dental office on State Avenue, also are listed on vaccinefinder.org and some are preparing to offer small amounts of vaccines to patients or staff next week.
Friesen said people may find one place more comfortable or convenient than another, which could help address vaccine hesitancy.
Wyandotte County remains under a mask and social distancing order that is in effect until June 10, and Wyandotte County has not loosened restrictions this week, she said.
The Health Department is accepting walk-ins or appointments for vaccinations. To make an appointment, visit WyCoVaccines.org. Those who don’t have the internet may call 3-1-1 in Wyandotte County. For those outside Wyandotte County, they may call 913-573-5311 to schedule.
At the University of Kansas Health System’s news conference on Tuesday morning, Dr. Catherine Satterwhite, regional health administrator for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, discussed many reasons for vaccine hesitancy.
Some people do not understand the value of vaccines to themselves and to society, she said. Others have questions and don’t yet have the answers and confidence they need that would help them get the vaccine.
According to Dr. Satterwhite, efforts are ongoing in social media, community education and empowering local thought leaders to knock down barriers to getting the vaccine.
Also, she said people need to be reminded that the vaccine is free. Taking things to the next phase will happen with diversity and inclusion, she said.
Dr. Lee Norman, Kansas secretary of health, said during the KU Health System news conference that society hasn’t opened up as quickly as some would want because they haven’t reached a critical mass of vaccinations in order to discard the masks and social distancing.
If people follow the science and get vaccinated, there will be an end to the pandemic sooner rather than later, he said.
Counties with higher vaccination rates will have less disease and those governments will be able to relax restrictions and open quicker, Dr. Norman believes.
Kansas joined about 20 states in lifting the residency requirements on vaccines recently.
With vaccine supply exceeding demand, there will be fewer mass vaccination clinics, according to Dr. Norman, with the emphasis shifting to smaller, more mobile clinics and getting the vaccine to private doctors’ offices.
KU Health System also is an option for people to receive vaccines, with Missouri residents as well as Kansas residents now eligible, according to Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer.
“We have 14,000 doses of vaccine to give. We need your arms,” Dr. Stites said. Those who are interested in receiving a vaccine from KU Health System may use the MyChart application, may visit the website kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine or may call 913-588-1227.
About the loosening of restrictions in some cities, including Kansas City, Missouri, Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, said it’s difficult to say as to what will happen after restrictions are loosened. Also, the CDC came out with new mask guidance on Tuesday, saying that fully vaccinated people don’t always have to wear masks outdoors, such as running outdoors or dining outdoors. Masks are still recommended for large events, however.
He is continuing to remind everyone that there are three things that are important, including vaccines, masking and social distancing. Vaccines can protect an individual from disease, hospitalization and death, from the long haul syndrome, and also, it can protect other people with a reduction in transmission, Dr. Hawkinson said.
Masking will provide a barrier, if people are ill, from expressing the virus into the environment, he said. Distancing is better outdoors than indoors, he added. Hand hygiene on a regular basis also is important, he said.
If people can practice the health measures, they can move forward and get back to where they were in 2019, he said.
Free walk-in vaccinations available
Free walk-in vaccinations will be available for everyone over age 16 on Wednesday, April 28, at three Unified Government Health Department locations.
The three locations are the former Kmart store at 78th and State, open from noon to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday; the Kansas National Guard Armory at 18th and Ridge, Kansas City, Kansas, open from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday; and the former Best Buy location at 10500 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, open from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Those who wish to schedule an appointment may use the Health Department’s self-scheduling tool at WycoVaccines.org and click on a blue button that says, “Click here to schedule an appointment online.” The page is available in Spanish by clicking at the top of the page.
Those who don’t have an internet connection may call 3-1-1 or 913-573-5311 for assistance in scheduling their vaccination appointment time and date.
To see more information about Health Department vaccinations and next week’s schedule, visit WycoVaccines.org.
Other sites available for vaccination
KU Health System offers vaccinations seven days a week at different locations. Appointments are required. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to see if vaccines are available.
The University of Kansas Health System also is open to anyone. They can call to get an appointment whether they are patients or not at the health system.
There are also pharmacies giving COVID-19 vaccinations in Wyandotte County by appointment, when available. These include Price Chopper and Hen House pharmacy at 76th and State Avenue, and 81st and State Avenue (see https://www.ballsfoodspharmacy.com/), and Medicine Shoppe pharmacy at 65th and Parallel by appointment when available (see https://www.facebook.com/The-Medicine-Shoppe-Kansas-City-281548241870522). CVS pharmacy also has announced that it will offer COVID-19 vaccines at one of its stores in Kansas City, Kansas. Registration is at CVS.com.
Other pharmacies and sites giving vaccines are listed at vaccinefinder.org.
Case numbers reported
The University of Kansas Health System reported a slight increase in COVID-19 patients Tuesday, possibly due to more people gathering in nicer weather and fewer restrictions. There were 15 active COVID-19 patients on Tuesday morning, an increase of four since Monday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. Of the 15 patients, five were in the intensive care unit, the same as Monday. Four patients were on a ventilator, no change from Monday. There were another 11 COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized but are out of the acute infection phase, no change from Monday. There is a total 26 patients, an increase of four since Monday.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of seven COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, April 27, for a cumulative 18,401 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 290 deaths reported, no change from Monday.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 169,607 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 60. The number of cumulative deaths was 2,383.
The state of Kansas reported 307,865 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Monday, April 26, an increase of 493 cases since Friday. There were a total cumulative 4,970 deaths reported statewide, an increase of two. KDHE reported that Johnson County had 57,588 cumulative cases, an increase of 153 cases since Friday. Leavenworth County had 7,166 cumulative cases, an increase of 13 cases since Friday.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Tuesday night reported 32,175,049 cumulative cases in the United States, with 573,378 total deaths reported nationwide.
Free testing available Wednesday
Free COVID-19 testing will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, at Faith Deliverance Family Worship Center, 3043 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The tests are in conjunction with the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force.
Unified Government Health Department COVID-19 will have three free COVID-19 testing sites open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 28. The sites are the former Best Buy store at 10500 Parallel Parkway; the former Kmart store at 7836 State Ave.; and the Kansas National Guard Armory at 100 S. 20th St. (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas.
For more information, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept. Appointments are not needed.
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.
The Health Department’s general contact page is at https://www.wycokck.org/Health/Contact.aspx. Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
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. There are more test sites listed on this page.
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 at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/158896126149761.
The University of Kansas Health System COVID-19 update page is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/292961702392386.
A weekly vaccine report for the state of Kansas is at
https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/DocumentCenter/View/123/Vaccine-Historical-Document-22521?bidId=.
Wyandotte County has a local mask and social distancing ordinance approved by the UG Commission. 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.