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Phase 2 of COVID-19 vaccinations in Johnson County will begin on Tuesday, Jan.26, according to county health officials.
In a virtual Facebook press conference on Thursday, county health director Sanmi Areola, Ph.D., said people in priority groups – including people 65 and older and officers unvaccinated phase 1 health centers – will be the first in line.
The move comes after Kansas announced a statewide move to Phase 2 on Wednesday.
Areola and county epidemiologist Elizabeth Holzschuh, who also attended the press conference, continued to urge Johnson Countians to be patient as the number of doses arriving in the county from the state is currently well in. below demand.
“We have this light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s just coming a lot slower than we hoped,” Holzschuh said.
You can watch the press conference on the county’s Facebook page, and it’s also embedded below:
Tonight, our staff provided an update on the COVID-19 vaccination deployment plan for Phase 2 in Johnson County, KS. Here is …
Posted by the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment on Thursday, January 21, 2021
Here are some key questions answered at the press conference:
Who has priority in phase 2?
The county has divided the individuals in phase 2 into three levels, with level 1 being the priority. Level 1 includes:
- The remaining unvaccinated people from phase 1, mainly health workers
- People 65 and over
- K-12 school staff, including teachers, bus drivers and guards
- Licensed child care staff
- EMS and public safety workers including police and firefighters
- Grocery store employees
- Bar and restaurant employees
- Food processing plant workers
Who comes after that in phase 2?
Level 2 of Phase 2 is made up of people living in “assembly places”, including:
- Homeless shelters
- Emergency shelters for domestic violence
- correctional facilities
- Residential treatment facilities
- Adult and child protection services facilities
- Home health aids and caregivers
Level 3 of phase 2 includes:
- Water and wastewater workers
- Postal service workers
- Motor vehicle department workers
- Retail, warehouse and point-of-sale workers
- 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’s not clear, but it might still take a while, even for level 1 people.
The county said at least 48,000 people responded to the survey last weekend after it opened on Friday.
For background, the state of Kansas says it expects to receive around 45,000 doses for the whole state in its next Federal Government mailing.
“Your ability to get vaccinated depends on the vaccine supply,” Areola said Thursday.
Should I ask my doctor or primary care provider to get me vaccinated?
Areola said the largest health systems serving Johnson County – including AdventHealth, HCA, KU Med, Olathe Health and St. Luke’s – are already reaching out to patients aged 65 and over to alert them that it may soon be possible to get vaccinated.
These large hospital networks will administer vaccines to patients in Phase 2, regardless of the doses administered by the county.
For older people, in particular, Areola suggested contacting your doctor or primary care provider if you haven’t already received any communication from them to see what their plans are.
Can I go to a pharmacy, like CVS or Walgreens, and ask about the vaccination?
These two large drugstore chains are currently helping immunize 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 not clear when this can happen.
Areola said if you walk into a CVS or Walgreens now and aren’t affiliated with a long-term care facility, you won’t get vaccinated.
Should I get the vaccine in Johnson County? Can I travel to another county or cross borders to get vaccinated?
The vaccines are administered by the federal government, and Areola said there are “no rules” against going elsewhere to try to get the vaccine. Some Post readers, for example, asked if they could drive into rural Kansas, where demand may be less to see if they can get the vaccine there.
But Areola warned that the supply chain issues that plagued Johnson County are also happening everywhere else, and that all Kansas counties are trying to schedule vaccinations for their populations, so such efforts may fail. not succeed.
Areola suggested Johnson Countians’ best bet would be to stay patient and get the shot in the county or in a hospital system here.
What if I live in Johnson County but work in a different county? Can I still get vaccinated here?
Yes, anyone who lives or works in Johnson County qualifies for a Phase 2 vaccine 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 could 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 need to coordinate with Children’s Mercy Hospital to immunize their employees, much of this communication will likely go through districts to their teachers and staff.
Teachers who teach outside of Johnson County should check with their school or district how they plan to vaccinate their employees.
What if I have already received my first dose and am waiting for my second dose? Will I be pushed back into the queue now that phase 2 begins?
Areola said this should not happen for people in Phase 1 trying to book a second dose appointment in the county.
People who have received the first dose should have received a card telling them when to receive their second dose.
“When it’s time for that second dose, contact us and make an appointment,” Areola said.
However, the vaccine supply at the time you try to book this appointment may have an impact on how quickly you get your second injection.
How can I get more information or stay on top of the vaccine rollout in the county?
Johnson County encourages residents to do the following:
- Sign up for the County’s Daily COVID-19 Email Newsletter here
- Follow JCHDE on Twitter and Facebook for regular updates
- Add County COVID-19 Dashboard Here
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