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Phase 2 of the Johnson County COVID-19 vaccination will begin on Tuesday, January 26, according to county health officials.
At a virtual press conference on Facebook on Thursday, Sanmi Areola County Health Director, Ph.D., said individuals in prioritized groups – including people aged 65 and over and Phase 1 health professionals who haven’t been vaccinated yet – they will be first in line.
The move comes after Kansas announced a statewide move to Phase 2 on Wednesday.
Areola and epidemiologist Elizabeth Holzschuh, who also attended the press conference, continued to ask Johnson counties to be patient because the number of doses arriving from the state to the county is far below demand.
“We have this light at the end of the tunnel, but it is coming much more slowly than we expected,” said Holzschuh.
You can watch the press conference on the county’s Facebook page, and it’s also embedded below:
Tonight, our team provided an update on the COVID-19 vaccine implementation plan for Phase 2 in Johnson County, KS. Here it is…
Posted by the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment on Thursday, January 21, 2021
Here are some key questions that were answered during the press conference:
Who has priority in Phase 2?
The county divided Phase 2 individuals into three levels, with Level 1 being given priority. Level 1 includes:
- Unvaccinated individuals left over from Phase 1, mainly health professionals
- People aged 65 and over
- K-12 school staff, including teachers, bus drivers and caretakers
- Licensed child care workers
- EMS and public security officials, including police and firefighters
- Grocery store workers
- Bar and restaurant staff
- Workers in food processing plants
Who comes after that in Phase 2?
Layer 2 of Phase 2 is made up of people in “congregated environments”, which include:
- Shelters
- Emergency shelters for domestic violence
- Correctional facilities
- Residential treatment facilities
- Facilities for the protection of adults and children
- Health aides and home caregivers
Phase 2 Level 3 includes:
- Water and sewage workers
- Postal workers
- Motor Vehicle Department Workers
- Retail, warehouse and point of sale employees
- Employees of companies that provide essential service materials, such as PPE
How long will I have to wait if I am in Phase 2?
It is not clear, but it can still take time, even for Level 1 individuals.
The county said at least 48,000 people responded to the survey last weekend after it opened on Friday.
For contextual purposes, the state of Kansas says it expects to receive about 45,000 doses for the entire state on your next federal government shipment.
“Your ability to be vaccinated depends on the supply of the vaccine,” Areola said on Thursday.
Should I ask my doctor or primary care provider about how to be vaccinated?
Areola said that the largest health systems serving Johnson County – including AdventHealth, HCA, KU Med, Olathe Health and St. Luke’s – are already reaching patients 65 and older to alert them that it will soon be possible to vaccinate.
These large hospital chains will administer vaccines to patients as part of Phase 2, separate from the doses administered by the county.
For the elderly, in particular, Areola suggested contacting your doctor or primary care provider, if you have not yet received communication from them to see what their plans are.
Can I go to a pharmacy, like CVS or Walgreens, and ask about getting vaccinated?
These two large pharmacy chains are currently helping to vaccinate residents and workers in long-term care facilities across the country.
Once this is done, they should start vaccinating members of the general public, but it is unclear exactly when this may happen.
Areola said that if you enter a CVS or Walgreens now and are not affiliated with a long-term care institution, you will not be vaccinated.
Do I have to be vaccinated in Johnson County? Can I travel to another county or cross state borders to be vaccinated?
The vaccines are administered by the federal government and Areola said that “there are no rules” against going elsewhere to try to be vaccinated. Some Post readers, for example, asked if they could drive into rural Kansas, where there may be less demand to see if they could be vaccinated there.
But Areola warned that the supply chain problems that plagued Johnson County are occurring everywhere else as well, and all Kansas counties are trying to plan vaccinations for their populations, so such efforts may not be successful.
Areola suggested that Johnson Countians’ best bet could be to remain patient and get vaccinated through the county or a hospital system here.
What if I live in Johnson County, but work in another county? Can I still be vaccinated here?
Yes, anyone who lives or works in Johnson County is eligible to be vaccinated in Phase 2 in Johnson County. County health officials encourage you to complete the online survey if you are eligible to receive a Phase 2 vaccination.
However, there can be potential complications for some people who work elsewhere: for example, teachers who live in Johnson County, but work in a district outside the county. Since districts and schools here are expected to coordinate with Children’s Mercy Hospital to vaccinate their staff, much of this communication will likely come from the districts to their teachers and staff.
Teachers teaching outside Johnson County should check with their school or district to see how they plan to vaccinate their staff.
What if I have already received my first dose and are waiting for my second dose? Will I be pushed back in line now that Phase 2 is starting?
Areola said this should not be the case for Phase 1 individuals trying to make a second dose appointment across the county.
People who received the first dose must have received a card stating when they should receive the second dose.
“When the time comes for the second dose, contact us and make an appointment,” said Areola.
Still, delivering the vaccine at the time you try to make an appointment can affect how quickly you get your second injection.
How can I get more information or stay updated on the vaccine distribution in the county?
Johnson County encourages residents to do the following:
- Sign up for the COVID-19 daily email newsletter from the county here
- Follow JCHDE at Twitter and Facebook for regular updates
- Check the county COVID-19 panel here