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Coping with COVID: Johnson County, Kan. begins Phase 2, Tier 1 vaccinations today for residents

All available slots to receive the COVID-19 vaccine have been filled this week in Johnson County as it begins Phase 2, Tier 1 vaccinations on Tuesday. The start of the new phase includes those 65 and older, emergency responders and education workers, among others.

Johnson County, Kan. has moved into Phase 2 of its COVID-19 vaccine distribution process beginning today, Tuesday, Jan. 26.

Phase 2 will be rolled out in different tiers, similar to what Missouri is doing.

However, as Kansas and Johnson County health officials continue to vaccinate people as part of Phase 1 of the distribution plan, the director of the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, Dr. Sanmi Areola, said it could be a while before Phase 2 inoculations are complete.

Areola said this Phase covers a very large group and estimated there are 150,000 people in the county who qualify to be vaccinated in Phase 2, including 95,000 residents 65 years old or older.

People who qualify to be vaccinated in Tier 1 of Phase 2 include all unvaccinated people from Phase 1, people age 65 and over and people in K-12 schools, including teachers, drivers and custodians.

Tier 1 also will include emergency services workers, like police officers, fire fighters and more. Tier 2 of Phase 2 will include people from previous phases; workers in transportation and logistics, which includes warehouses and large-scale manufacturing plants; and bus and transportation workers.