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Starting on Monday, March 22, Kansas will move on to the next part of its vaccination implementation, which will include Phases 3 and 4.
The largest group of residents who will qualify in these next two phases are adults aged 16 to 64 with underlying health problems – including cancer, obesity, asthma and diabetes – that can potentially make COVID-19 infection more serious.
Johnson County remains in the middle of vaccinating individuals in Phase 2, which includes adults aged 65 and over, educators and food service workers, among other groups.
Because of its size, Johnson County has lagged behind many of the state’s smaller and less populous counties, which have completed Phase 2 vaccinations and are ready to move on.
Plans to start Phase 3 and 4 vaccinations
County Health Director Sanmi Areola, Ph.D., said this week that the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment plans to vaccinate Phases 2, 3 and 4 simultaneously.
Earlier this week, the county opened an online survey for all Johnson County residents to complete in order to express their interest in being vaccinated. Previously, only eligible individuals in Phases 1 and 2 were encouraged to complete the survey of interest.
To fill out the vaccine interest form for all stages, click here. If you have already completed a form for Phase 1 or 2, do not complete the new form. Individuals are also encouraged not to complete the survey multiple times.
The supply of vaccines has so far been relatively limited, leading to widespread frustration and confusion as residents try to make appointments.
Health officials, both at the municipal and state levels, are betting on increasing the federal supply of vaccines soon, making the worry of securing a place in the queue less problematic. President Joe Biden recently promised that all American adults who wanted a vaccine would be able to get it by May 1.
“There is still a lot of work to be done – this battle is not over,” said Dr. Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. “We are in this together and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Vaccine schedule going forward
On Monday, Governor Laura Kelly said she announced progressing to the next phase of the vaccination process a week in advance, in part, to give larger counties, like Johnson, a chance to recover from Phase 2 vaccinations.
JCDHE officials said they expected some additional doses this week, which were relocated from other counties that were completed with Phase 2.
About 150,000 people were eligible to be vaccinated in Johnson County in Phase 2, but Areola estimates that expansion to Phases 3 and 4 next week could double that number.
“It just emphasizes the need for patience,” Areola said. “The next four and five weeks will be very hectic in the county.”
So far, the county says that more than 135,000 first doses have been administered in Johnson County. This total includes vaccines administered at clinics administered by the county, as well as those administered at local hospitals and retail pharmacies.
Kelly expressed hope this week that the next part of the vaccine launch in Kansas would take place on a faster schedule than previous phases, because federal supplies are increasing.
“Our biggest barrier to vaccine delivery is national shortages,” said Kelly. “If the Biden administration fulfills its commitment, we anticipate that we will complete the combination of Phases 3 and 4 by the end of April.”
Here is a look at the general trends in Johnson County:
In Johnson County, the decline in new cases continued last week.
The positivity rate fell from about 3.2% to 2.8% – the lowest metric in months.
Meanwhile, there has also been an unusual drop in the total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19, the first time the Shawnee Mission Post has noticed such an occurrence.
JCDHE explained that the decline in total deaths occurred because at least six deaths originally attributed to Johnson County by Kansas health officials were transferred to other jurisdictions because they were linked to postal codes outside Johnson County.
“Information on deaths due to COVID-19 is tentative until it is verified by the KDHE,” JCDHE spokeswoman Barbara Mitchell told the Post by email. “Sometimes this process takes a while. The metric is adjusted when the KDHE decision on deaths due to COVID-19 is finalized. “
As of Wednesday, March 17, JCDHE data indicates 79 new cases per 100,000 residents. That’s 10 less than the previous week.
This story has been updated to include comments from the JCDHE on the drop in reported deaths.