KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly plans to announce the move to Phase 2 of the state’s vaccine distribution plan on Thursday.
In Phase 2, adults over age 65, people in congregate settings and high-contact critical workers will be prioritized, along with anyone in Phase 1 who has not yet been vaccinated.
“After moving quickly to vaccinate close to 130,000 frontline health care workers and Kansas seniors, my administration has worked with local health departments and providers to prepare to move Kansas into Phase 2,” Kelly said in a news release sent from her office. “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."
Around 1 million Kansans fall into Phase 2, according to Kelly’s office, but the next weekly supply of the vaccine only contains around 45,000 new initial doses, meaning not every eligible person will immediately receive their shot.
Each county will decide how their “limited supply of the doses” will be distributed, according to Kelly’s office.
The state says that Phase 2 allows for people in the following categories to be eligible for the vaccine:
- Persons aged 65 and older
- High-contact critical workers, including:
- Firefighters, police officers, first responders and correction officers
- Grocery store workers and food services
- K-12 and child care workers, including teachers, custodians, drivers and other staff
- Food processing, including meat processing plants
- Large-scale aviation manufacturing plants
- Transportation workers
- Workers in retail, agriculture, supply of critical services or materials for COVID-19 response, the U.S. Postal Service and Department of Motor Vehicles
- Those living or working in licensed congregate settings and other special care or congregate environments where social distancing is not possible, including:
- Homeless shelters
- Congregate child care institutions
- Emergency shelters or safe houses
- Corrections facilities
- Behavioral health institutions
On Wednesday, the state also launched a COVID-19 vaccine dashboard to track its distribution progress.
