The Shawnee Mission Post is making much of its local coverage of the coronavirus pandemic accessible to non-subscribers. (If you value having a news source covering the situation in our community, we hope you will consider signing up here).
Many Johnson counties that wish to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine now have a way of notifying county health officials.
The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment launched an online survey on Friday that allows people in Phase 2 of the county’s vaccine distribution plan to advise the county that they would like to receive the two-dose vaccine when they become eligible.
Phase 2 of the vaccine implantation plan will include:
- adults aged 65 and over
- Critical “high contact” workers, including police, firefighters, teachers and grocery workers (click here for a complete list)
- unvaccinated healthcare professionals during Phase 1
Phase 1 is still ongoing and is expected to continue until January. Below is the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s five-phase vaccination plan, which the JCDHE is following.
Search will not query
County health director Sanmi Areola, Ph.D. told the county commission on Thursday that vaccinations for the Phase 2 group could begin next month.
He said the online survey aims to help county officials get to know the scope of the need for what is expected to be a large group of Phase 2 vaccine recipients. But the research will not allow people to make an appointment to be vaccinated.
Areola estimated that there may be up to 150,000 Johnson Countians who qualify for Phase 2 vaccines.
The new search system in Johnson County reflects similar online registration systems already in use in Wyandotte and Jackson counties. These counties also ask residents to fill in information – including name, address and age – to see when they can become eligible to be vaccinated.
Johnson County health officials said the county will contact individuals who register to provide more information as soon as they are eligible.
Phase 1 vaccinations collected this week
Much still needs to happen before Phase 2 vaccinations can begin, but the outlook has become a little more optimistic this week, with an increase in the number of doses the county has received.
Before Monday, only 4,000 doses were administered to Phase 1 recipients, which include health professionals and others critical of the pandemic response. (Workers and residents of long-term care facilities in Johnson County are also being vaccinated, but through a federal pharmaceutical partnership that is not included in the county’s overall count, Areola said).
But as of Thursday this week, the county had received 7,350 more doses and expects 3,900 more soon. Of these, about 5,000 are for the booster injection to be administered to people who have already received the first dose.
Vaccinations for Phase 2 cannot begin until Phase 1 is completed, Areola told the commissioners. There are about 10,000 injections yet to be administered to make this happen.
Where to find more information
The county health department is encouraging Phase 1 health workers to still apply for vaccines, now that more vaccines are becoming available.
The doses for residents eligible for Phase 1 will be available by appointment from Tuesday to Friday over the next two weeks for those who present proof of employment, medical certificate and a valid identity document. These appointments are not available to the general public.
The county has been distributing doses as they arrive and does not accumulate vaccine, Areola said, not even to reserve doses for backup.
County health officials recommend that residents frequently check the JCDHE vaccine information page for updates. They also encourage residents to sign up for the county’s COVID-19 daily newsletter, informing residents of the latest pandemic-related news, data and trends in Johnson County.
In the meantime, Areola urged residents to continue wearing masks, distancing themselves socially and staying at home if they are ill, in order to stem the spread of the disease.