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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – On Friday, officials from the Iowa Department of Public Health clarified how it prioritizes who gets the single-dose Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. This comes after our i9 investigative unit detailed complaints from local public health officials urging the state to give these doses to vulnerable populations. This includes people who are homeless, in prison or immigrants.
Linn County’s email to state cited fairness in wanting more control over who gets this Johnson and Johnson vaccine. County health officials say a 1-dose vaccine is best used for people less likely to show up for a second appointment. It could be people who do not speak English, who live in transitional housing, inmates or the homeless.
While the state allocates thousands of doses to counties for this purpose, 700 doses go to Linn County, it also gives thousands more to colleges and manufacturing companies. Linn County Public Health maintains that it is much easier to arrange second doses for these groups.
The county specifically highlighted the 3,200 doses of Johnson and Johnson administered to Collins Aerospace employees. The county argues that it would be easy to give these employees 2 doses in their internal health clinic. We reached out to the company today to learn more about why their employees would need the one-dose versus two-dose-only option. They haven’t replied to us yet.
On Friday, officials from the Iowa Department of Public Health clarified that its goal was to get people vaccinated quickly. He wants the students who go home first and then join the staff.
The state claims Collins was part of the first wave of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. This was targeting food processors and manufacturing facilities that cannot socially distance themselves.
At the same time, Willis Dady executives told us they plan to work with Mercy officials to vaccinate homeless people in a few weeks using these doses of Johnson and Johnson.
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