For the past several days, local health officials have said the first phase of coronavirus vaccinations was nearing an end.
The latest sign of that came Saturday as 527 first-round vaccines were administered to city and county staff, first responders, direct-contact healthcare workers and a wide range of school district staff across the county including nurses, health office aides, counselors, therapists, psychologists, social workers and paraprofessionals as part of a mass vaccination event at the Bowyer Community Building. Flint Hills Community Health Center Director Renee Hively was glad the Health Center could get the vaccines distributed after they came in earlier this week.
Phase 1 vaccinations started a month ago for Newman Regional Health and the Health Center, recently expanding to clinical staff at Emporia State University, Flint Hills Technical College and USD 253 Emporia, along with staff at the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office.
Lyon County Emergency Management Director Jarrod Fell says the process went well from his vantage point.
Six people were getting vaccinated every five minutes, although they also had to wait 15 minutes as a precaution against any medical reaction to the drug. Final doses for this group will be Feb. 13.
The state has said it wants to move into Phase 2 for people ages 65 and older, high-contact critical workers and people in congregate settings as part of a coordinated, simultaneous effort across Kansas. Early indications are that could happen either late this month or early next month.
This effort was important in another way because it served as a trial run for vaccinating the general public in Phases 3, 4 and 5 later this year. Both Fell and Hively say they were pleased with what they saw and how they could translate Saturday’s format to a public event.
