Coping With COVID: Jackson County Gets First Vaccine Doses

It’s a small step–enough to treat 975 people–but Jackson County has received its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and began vaccinations this week, prioritizing health-care workers in direct contact with patients.

The county has adopted a four-phase plan for determining who will receive the vaccines; those health-care workers are part of what’s been labeled Phase 1A; Phase 1B will cover high-risk individuals, such as those older than 65, first responders and essential workers in the fields of teachers, child-care providers, manufacturing, food and energy production. The next level, Phase 2, covers those with elevated risk, such as prison inmates and the homeless. All other Missouri residents will be on the Phase 3 priority list. 

The Jackson County Health Department is in charge of distribution, and will focus on delivery outside the Kansas City limits. The county is conducting an online survey to help determine when others will be eligible for the vaccine.  The survey is available here.