Confusion about Lyon County’s COVID-19 vaccination wait list situation should be coming to an end.
On KVOE’s COVID-19 Vaccination Briefing on Monday, Flint Hills Community Health Center CEO Renee Hively said the agency will start officially taking names of people wanting vaccines Tuesday.
Residents will call the Lyon County Public Health COVID Hotline at 620-208-3741 to get on the list. Oldest residents on the list will be vaccinated first. Hively says there have been extra prompts added to the phone tree to simplify the process.
Earlier, a pair of agency staffers had started taking names unbeknownst to Health Center administrators. The Health Center used those names and others provided by Newman Regional Health to get around 400 people ages 65 and up vaccinated as part of a closed pod or clinic this past Friday. The online scheduling link method used for the two open pods is on hold for now but may return later.
Newman Regional Health Pharmacy Director Ashley Edwards says the hospital is directing people to the Health Center for wait list scheduling, now that it does not appear the hospital will be getting any vaccines for public distribution any time soon.
It’s a change from last week for the hospital, which had been maintaining a three-year database so it could keep seniors abreast of the vaccine availability.
Most other area counties are also maintaining wait lists, especially for seniors over age 65 — the biggest component by far in the state’s second phase of the vaccination process. Several counties, including Chase and Morris, are using a priority list for vaccinations. Others, including Osage County, are vaccinating on a first-come, first-served basis.
Lyon County will have an open vaccination pod from 9 am to 6 pm Friday at the Bowyer Community Building. There will be 400 medications available. Hively says closed pods for secondary vaccinations are coming Feb. 13, Feb. 19 and Feb. 26, and the short-term goal is to have initial vaccinations on Thursdays and secondary vaccinations on Fridays if enough vaccinations come in. Public Health can schedule two clinics a week at this time, and Hively says the department will reach out to Newman Regional Health and other partners once more vaccines come in and it is unable to schedule more mass vaccination pods on a weekly basis.
Vaccination Briefings are held at 8:20 am every Monday on KVOE and KVOE.com.
