No COVID-19 vaccine appointment required starting Monday in Sedgwick County

As Kansas officials struggle to find enough people to vaccinate from the coronavirus, Sedgwick County has dropped the requirement for people to make an appointment.

Starting Monday, appointments will not be needed to get a vaccination at the former downtown Wichita library, 223 S. Main. Appointments can still be made, though, at sedgwickcounty.org/covid-19.

The announcement comes as 62 of the 105 counties “rejected their weekly allocations of COVID-19 vaccines from the state this week” as demand stagnates, according to public radio station KCUR.

Currently, about 25.4% of Kansans have been fully vaccinated, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, but health officials say it would take roughly 80% to achieve herd immunity.

Nearly 29% of Sedgwick County’s adult population has been fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 49% of Americans surveyed in February said they would probably or definitely get the vaccine and another 19% reported already having at least one dose, according to survey results released in March by Pew Research Center.

“The factors tied to the decision to get a COVID-19 vaccine are complex and interrelated,” the organization said. “Center analyses find trust in the vaccine research and development process ties strongly to people’s vaccine attitudes and actions.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2021 at 12:10 PM.