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Kansas gets $26 million for vaccines; where's the money going?

Vaccine
Posted at 4:30 AM, Feb 03, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-03 08:00:13-05

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas will receive $26 million for vaccine efforts however, little is known about where the money will be distributed to.

Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall's office made the announcement last week that the money would be supplied to the state through a federal grant.

On Friday, Marshall told the I-Team the decision for how the money will be used will be left up to Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

"It's to encourage vaccinations, to help give vaccinations as well," Marshall said. "But, it doesn't have to be COVID, they can use it for the flu as well."

Sam Coleman, spokesperson for Gov. Laura Kelly's office tells the I-Team that KDHE is putting together a budget for the $26 million that it will be provided to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by the end of the month.

On Friday, Marshall toured vaccination sites across the Kansas City area. Monday, a spokesperson for Marshall said he found no issues with how the sites are handling the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

It's not clear how much of the grant money will go specifically to COVID-19 vaccination efforts, since the funds are for vaccine efforts in general.

Coleman said a representative with the governor's office who is handling the budget for KDHE will give the I-Team specifics once the budget is complete.