Lyon County Public Health is setting aside some incoming coronavirus vaccines for the county’s education sector.
As was first mentioned in the USD 253 Emporia Board of Education meeting Wednesday, Public Health is now reserving 10 percent of incoming vaccines for education staffers in Lyon County. On KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Thursday, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern says those doses will be set aside for high-contact workers. She says there are two reasons for this adjustment.
In addition, it makes sense to vaccinate high-contact workers now because children can’t be vaccinated until Phase 4 based on the current state schedule.
This comes as the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program revs up with Walmart offering vaccinations beginning Friday at Emporia’s store and others across Kansas. Millbern says the available vaccines through this program are part of a separate medication stream than the vaccines coming to county health departments. Private partners, including Walmart, will vaccinate residents using local protocols — meaning Phase 2 seniors for residents using the Emporia Walmart location. To start the process, go online to walmart.com/COVIDvaccine or use the Walmart app.
Infection trends are — knock on wood — doing better than they have in the past.
Millbern says health officials are still watching the post-Super Bowl time period for a potential spike.
Separately, Millbern says the rush to get on the county’s vaccination waitlist has slowed down considerably since Public Health began officially taking names early last week. The waitlist now has close to 1,500 residents awaiting their shots.
The next closed vaccination pod for Phase 2 seniors will be Friday at the Bowyer Community Building with 600 available primary doses. The next closed pod for Phase 1-eligible workers to get secondary doses will be Saturday at the Bowyer Building. Six hundred primary doses will be available for a closed pod next week.
Millbern’s next appearance on KVOE will be during the Feb. 18 Newsmaker segment at 7:15 am. The next COVID-19 Vaccination Briefing will be at 8:20 am Monday on KVOE and KVOE.com.
