TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – The Coffey County Health Department is preparing to help distribute the COVID-19 vaccine before the end of this month for Phase 2 of the state plan; however, none of your 4 nurses will actually be managing.
In a call to 13 News Wednesday (Jan. 13), health department administrator Lindsay Payer said that neither she nor her staff “are comfortable” with administering the vaccine. Instead, the county health department will hire at least one outside nurse to administer the vaccine and possibly other providers. They will use COVID funds to cover it. Payer says these are personal decisions made individually and not without reflection.
“I will tell you that we will have to hire staff outside of our team to give the vaccine because my team is not comfortable with it,” Payer told the commissioners at their January 4 meeting. “It is a new technology. We’ve never seen that before. It was only studied in 45 people before it was approved, and the companies that made the vaccine do not need … they are no longer responsible. So, if there is something bad about the vaccine, it doesn’t come back to them. This is widely known and somewhat uncomfortable for a nurse who has to put this on people’s bodies. So, let’s find nurses who want to do that. I’m not. My team is not at the moment. “
However, it is clear that the county medical officer, Dr. Jeff Sloyer, does not share the concerns of the health department staff. At the county commission meeting last Monday (January 11), he told the commissioners:
“Both vaccines have been studied very well,” Solyer assured the commissioners. “Pfizer’s had over 40,000 people in its test, and Moderna had 30,000 people in its test, so I think that’s a good thing.” Sloyer told the commissioners that the January 6 meeting generated a lot of confusion and response on social media.
On January 8, the Coffey County weekly update had 27 active COVID cases – 12 new cases and 16 recoveries.
In a phone call on Wednesday morning (January 13), Payer told 13 News that this is a personal decision for each team member and is not intended to send any message – for or against vaccination. She insists that they don’t want to be a barrier to anyone getting the vaccine and are moving forward with the implementation of a plan to ensure that all residents of Coffey County who wish to be vaccinated during Phase 2 can be vaccinated. Members of the population aged 65 and over may eventually receive the COVID vaccine, probably later this month. The health department started a waiting list – one that at Monday’s committee meeting grew to over 200 people in just a few days. Payer claims to have spoken to the Coffey Health System, which indicates that they may be willing to assist the health department to give the vaccine. In addition, Payer says that, like the county health department, local pharmacies have also asked KDHE to apply the vaccine. She believes there will be no shortage of vacancies or opportunities for Coffey County residents to get the vaccine.
Payer points out that it is not uncommon for county health departments to contract external providers for services such as vaccination. She told 13 News that this “is not new, it is not unexpected” and her “choice as licensed professionals” to decide whether or not to administer a vaccine.
“Health departments across the state are considered vaccination experts,” said Payer on the call to 13 News. “We know how long it takes to develop a good vaccine and the study that involves it. We did not make that decision lightly. We made this decision using the information we have. We want to maintain our integrity. Nurses are recognized as the most trusted profession and we want to maintain that trust. We want the public to make the best decision for them. “
Last Monday, Dr. Sloyer told the commissioners that the health department has been working hard on the public vaccination plan. They have submitted their application to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to receive the COVID vaccine and are maintaining a resident application list. In addition, due to possible liability concerns, the health department will require those who receive the vaccine to sign an exemption. Dr. Solyer told the commissioners that they will receive the Modern vaccine. Since patients are to be monitored for a short time after the vaccine, Coffey County will prepare to give its public vaccines at the recreation center. Although he notes that reactions to the vaccine have been very rare, they will have Epipens and Benadryl on hand along with EMS.
At last week’s meeting (Jan. 4), Payer told commissioners that COVID is now part of our daily lives – comparing it to colds and flu.
“I think it’s safe to say that COVID is endemic now in our community,” said Payer. “We know it’s here to stay. We know that it cannot be controlled. It’s a virus. You cannot stop a virus. We are still doing everything we can, but it is what it is. It will simply be part of what we have to face now. As a community, we probably need to make some decisions about what this means and how many more resources we are going to put into it. Knowing you’re here is like a cold or the flu. It’s normal now. That is exactly what it is. “
We contacted Coffey County Medical Officer, Dr. Jeff Sloyer, the County Commission Administrative Assistant and also a KDHE spokesman to comment on this story.
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