BY NICOLE ASBURY
Douglas County health officials launched a sign-up sheet for residents 65 and older to sign up to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and within less than an hour, 500 designated appointment times were filled Wednesday evening.
Douglas County residents who are 65 and older were able to register to receive a coronavirus vaccine as early as Jan. 29, according to a health alert from Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health issued at 6:30 p.m. By 7 p.m., no slots remained.
County officials plan to announce future appointment slots when more doses of the vaccine are available, spokesman George Diepenbrock said.
To receive COVID-19 vaccine phase alerts from Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, visit https://ldchealth.org/list.aspx and type your email in the box, then click Sign In. Individuals should confirm their email, then click the mail icon next to “Health Alert” to subscribe.
Douglas County health officials created the sign-up form after Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced the state would be moving into Phase 2 of its vaccine distribution plan.
Under Phase 2, individuals who are 65 years and older or work in environments designated high-contact environments by the state government — such as K-12 education or grocery stores — qualify to receive a coronavirus vaccine.
However, the first Phase 2 clinic in Douglas County at the Community Indoor Arena in Lawrence is meant specifically for senior citizens, according to the health alert.
Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health Director Dan Partridge said this is all dependent on the availability of vaccine doses.
“Given the large population who would qualify under Phase 2, we expect it will take several weeks to vaccinate everyone in this phase, so we continue to ask for patience from our community members,” Partridge said in a statement. “That said, we are excited to make progress on vaccinating those health care workers and others who qualify under Phase 1 and proceed into Phase 2, including to begin to vaccinate those 65 and older who are most vulnerable to COVID- 19.”
One appointment is requested per person. After booking an appointment, individuals will receive detailed instructions on what to bring.
About 500 appointment slots were initially available through the online sign-up form. If the county receives more vaccine doses before Jan. 29, more appointment times will be added and announced by county health authorities when available, according to a news release from Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health.
“While it’s important to remember that the rate of vaccinations will be dependent on the amount we receive from the federal government, we use every tool available to make vaccine delivery transparent, efficient, and fast in order to reach as many Kansans as possible,” Kelly said in a statement Wednesday evening.
Reach reporter Nicole Asbury at eudoratimes@gmail.com.
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