COVID-19 vaccinations may be heading from Phase 1 to Phase 2 soon, but the transition may not be as smooth as initially thought.
During KVOE’s COVID-19 Vaccination Briefing on Monday, Flint Hills Community Health Center CEO Renee Hively said the state has started giving mixed messages about that transition.
This runs counter to guidance just last week, where all indications were the state would move into Phase 2 as part of a simultaneous push to get vaccines to people over age 65, high-contact critical workers including childcare workers, retail staff, food service and transportation employees, people on congregate settings and Phase-1-eligible staff who didn’t get vaccinated. Both Hively and Newman Regional Health Chief Quality Officer Cathy Pimple says issues like this hamper the planning process, but the county has done a good job with a rapid turnaround once the vaccines arrive.
To this point in the process, both Pimple and Hively say the vaccination process has gone about as smoothly as can be expected, with vaccinations for frontline healthcare workers, first responders, city and county staff and a range of education workers taking place over the last month. Hively also says the vials have been overfilled in many cases, so local healthcare facilities have been able to give out at least one and sometimes two extra doses per vial over the past five weeks.
As things move into Phase 2 — which could triple or quadruple the current number of eligible patients — Hively expects some prioritization, with people over age 65 possibly first in line based on current projections. If the Phase 2 vaccination effort begins before the free coronavirus testing process ends at the Fairgrounds Anderson Building on Jan. 28, there is a chance the vaccination process could use the Anderson Building. Where testing would go in that case has not been announced.
The next COVID-19 Vaccination Briefing will be next Monday at 8:20 am on KVOE and KVOE.com. Programs will also be stored in the KVOE.com Audio Vault after their completion. If you have questions, you can also go online to www.newmanrh.org/covid19vaccine, track Lyon County Public Health on Facebook or go online to www.kansasvaccine.gov.
