Phase 2 vaccination clinic opens at Douglas County Fairgrounds

Nearly 1,000 people who qualify for Phase 2 were scheduled to be vaccinated at the Douglas County Fairgrounds vaccination clinic that opened today.

BY NICOLE ASBURY

The first Phase 2 vaccination clinic opened at the Douglas County Fairgrounds Friday with nearly 1,000 people scheduled for vaccinations.

Senior citizens were able to receive the coronavirus vaccine by scheduled appointment. Around 960 people were expected to be vaccinated, said Dan Partridge, director of Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health.

Individuals arrived at the drive-thru clinic, where they were checked to ensure they had an appointment and then received the vaccine. After getting their dose, volunteers directed cars to a separate building at the fairgrounds, where each senior citizen was monitored for about 15 minutes for adverse effects.

“I think it’s hectic right now, but at the end of the day we’re going to feel like we did a good job,” Partridge said early Friday afternoon.

Pending vaccine supply, county health officials would like to host a vaccination clinic similar to the Douglas County Fairgrounds clinic once a week.

As of 1 p.m. Friday, no patient at the clinic was reporting any adverse effects. The only problem Partridge reported was that one patient learned their car’s tire blew out as they were leaving.

Health officials hope to host a clinic once a week, but a lot of that will be determined by vaccine supply, Partridge said.

“Right now, it’s pretty limited,” Partridge said. “We have the capacity to deliver more vaccine than we have supply.”

It took roughly an hour for people to get through the full clinic at the Douglas County Fairgrounds near 19th and Harper streets.

“It was fine,” said Diana Matthews, a Lawrence resident who received the vaccine Friday. “It didn’t hurt at all.”

Patients arrived to the drive-thru clinic at their allotted time and were given the vaccine in their car before being monitored for adverse side effects in a separate building for 15 minutes.

Partridge said the process goes most efficiently for people who come at their allotted appointment time. People should also be ready to present an insurance card and their QR code they receive once they schedule an appointment.

Plus, it helps if patients wear shirts that they can easily receive the vaccine in, Partridge said.

“It makes it easier if you’re ready for the shot and you can still do that while you’re in the driver’s seat,” Partridge said.

County health officials have previously said they estimate roughly 30,000 to 40,000 people qualify under Phase 2 of Kansas’ vaccine distribution plan. Under the second phase, individuals 65 and older, or employed by a state-designated essential business, such as K-12 educators or grocery store employees, are among those prioritized.

Douglas County residents can complete a vaccine interest survey at dgcoks.org/vaccineinterestform. The survey asks individuals to indicate their interest in receiving the vaccine and how they want to be notified once the vaccine is available.

People who have questions about scheduling their appointment can contact LMH Health at 785-505-2424.

Senior citizens who need help scheduling an appointment can call Douglas County’s Senior Resource Center at 785-842-0543.

Reach reporter Nicole Asbury at eudoratimes@gmail.com.

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