Riley County Health Department Director Julie Gibbs says her department believes more groups will be able to get the COVID vaccine within a few weeks.
“It’s hard to give a definite timeline right now. It’s simply because we don’t have an idea of how much vaccine we’ll be getting and when we’ll be getting our next shipment,” she said.
The health department is currently working to vaccinate recipients in Phase 1 of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment plan, which includes staff members at the health department, hospitals and long-term care facilities, emergency medical services and urgent care facilities. Phase 2, which likely won’t occur until later this winter, will include more groups.
“It includes our school staff, child care providers and other critical infrastructure personnel. We’ll also include those who are 65 and older and have underlying health conditions that puts them at risk,” she said.
Gibbs estimates between 200 to 300 shipments of the vaccine have been coming in to the health department and are hoping that will continue on a weekly basis. As of Tuesday, the health department had not received its next shipment scheduled for this week.
Ascension Via Christi has been receiving its own shipments of the vaccine, separate from the health department. Gibbs says knowing the vaccine is here, has boosted optimism among health department employees.
“Just the fact that we’re getting the vaccines in our hands is boosting morale as well as just getting into 2021,” she said.
Gibbs appears Tuesday mornings at 7:03 a.m. as part of KMAN’s COVID-19 community updates. Ascension Via Christi President Bob Copple also joins us on Thursdays at 7:03 a.m.
