will the pace of vaccinations pick up soon?

Every Friday, the Shawnee Mission Post publishes a Johnson County Vaccine FAQ, answering our readers’ questions about the COVID-19 vaccination process in Johnson County.

If you have a vaccine question you want answered, email us at [email protected].

You can read our old FAQs on the County Vaccine Interest Survey, State and County Priority Lists, and Fairness in Vaccine Distribution.

This week’s FAQ focuses on questions from readers who want to learn more about the pace of immunization and vaccine supply.

Will the pace of vaccinations accelerate soon?

• It’s entirely possible, as county health officials expect to start receiving more doses in their weekly allowance that goes through the state.
• The Biden administration has said it is ramping up vaccine production this week and the president has promised there will be enough doses to immunize every American adult by the end of May.
• This week, for the first time, Johnson County received more than 10,000 doses in a single week. This was due, in part, to an infusion of over 3,000 doses of the newly authorized Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
• Sanmi Areola, Ph.D., county health director, told county commissioners on Thursday he was “optimistic” Johnson County would start seeing even more weekly doses than that in the coming weeks.
• In anticipation of having to accommodate more vaccine administrations, the county is now renting a Lenexa warehouse that will serve as the county’s vaccination center in the future. Areola said the goal was to get up to 2,500 vaccinations per day in the warehouse.

Does getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine change anything about the distribution of the vaccine in Johnson County?

• The short answer is not yet.
• This week, Johnson County received approximately 3,300 of the state’s single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines, but distribution of this vaccine will not occur regularly once the current supply runs out.
• Kansas Department of Health and Environment secretary Dr Lee Norman said this week that Kansas does not expect to receive more Johnson & Johnson vaccines until at least March 23.
• Still, county health officials hailed the extra vaccine boost this week.
• “We don’t have enough vaccines to meet the needs of everyone who wants them, so we’re happy to take whatever we can get our hands on and we’ll administer it as quickly as possible,” said the director. Department of Epidemiology Elizabeth Holzschuh.

What if other counties in Kansas complete Phase 2 before Johnson County?

• According to Areola, some smaller, more rural counties in Kansas are nearing the end of the state’s Phase 2 distribution, which focuses on people 65 and older, educators, first responders and essential workers like grocery store employees.
• Johnson County is currently about a third of the way through the Phase 2 groups.
• Norman says counties can’t move on to the next phase until each of Kansas’ 105 counties can. As counties with smaller populations begin to complete their Phase 2 clinics, they will receive smaller vaccine shipments and supplies will be redirected to larger counties like Johnson.
• Overall, Johnson County, which makes up just under 21% of Kansas’ population, but has only received about 14% of the state’s overall vaccine supply, which has frustrated local officials and residents.
• “What we would like to see is that our share of the vaccine reflects our numbers,” Areola said.

How does the county treat people who lie on their vaccine registration form or who are not yet eligible for vaccination but still show up?

• If you’re not currently eligible to be vaccinated but still make an appointment through the county’s online system, Areola says you won’t be vaccinated when you show up at a county clinic.
• He said he saw some people lie about their eligibility on the online form or mistakenly register for a vaccine appointment after someone else gave them a registration link.
• Areola said firing someone around vaccination time for trying to jump the line wasted the county’s time and resources. It could also take the place of someone who – for reasons related to their age or their job – has a more urgent need to be vaccinated.
• “It’s very destructive,” he said.

As a reminder, here is who is currently eligible to be vaccinated at level 1 of phase 2 of the vaccine rollout in the county:

• People 65 and over
• Kindergarten to Grade 12 school staff and babysitters
• All remaining health workers who were not vaccinated as part of the phase
• First responders, including police and firefighters

Who will be vaccinated next?

• The JCDHE hopes to begin immunizing other groups at Phase 2 level 1 soon. Areola says vaccinations for grocery store workers could begin in the coming weeks.
• People aged 64 or younger with pre-existing illnesses will be given priority for vaccinations under phases 3 and 4.
• Eventually, anyone who wants the vaccine will be able to get it, so “please respect the order and the phases we are in,” Holzschuh said.

Again, if you have a question that might be answered in a future Johnson County Vaccine FAQ, email us at [email protected].