Meatpacking employees were part of the Lyon County vaccination list for Thursday’s clinic. Now Governor Laura Kelly has announced a statewide game plan for that economic sector.
Kelly says counties with meatpacking plants, including Lyon County, will get additional doses earmarked directly for meatpacking workers. She says the meatpacking industry has been hard at work to provide food for residents since the pandemic started a year ago.
The number of doses in this new stream has not been announced.
This will be on top of doses already coming to counties from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Lyon County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern says it aligns exactly with what the county has planned. Public Health is researching whether the extra vaccine is a one-time deal. Over 1,000 extra vaccines earlier this week let Public Health vaccinate meatpacking workers. Lyon County also got permission from the state to vaccinate K-12 staff and daycare providers as part of this new venture.
KDHE is coordinating this new venture with local health departments and meatpacking plants. Kelly says all meatpacking employees who want a vaccine can get a dose by the end of next week.
