All Kansas adults can now get COVID booster shots: ‘End to this deadly pandemic’
All fully vaccinated Kansans over the age of 18 are now eligible for COVID-19 booster shots, state health officials announced Wednesday.
Before, Kansas followed federal guidelines, that booster shots should be available only to people over 65, with underlying health conditions or at risk because of their jobs or living conditions.
But like governors in several other states, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said she didn’t want to wait.
“The COVID-19 vaccine is free, safe, effective, and the best way to keep our communities protected from this virus,” Kelly said in a statement.
“Expanding access to booster shots will help us put an end to this deadly pandemic. Whether you are considering your first shot or signing up for a booster, I urge everyone to get the facts and get vaccinated.”
Missouri, meanwhile, continues to follow the Centers for Disease Control’s guidelines for the booster shots, said a spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Kansas follows several other states, red and blue, expanding who is eligible for the booster shot, including California, Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas and West Virginia.
To get booster shots, Kansans must be at least 18 and have received their full Pfizer or Moderna shots six months earlier or Johnson & Johnson at least two months earlier. About 48% of Kansans are fully vaccinated, data shows.
Kansas health officials provided examples of people who might be at higher risk of getting COVID-19 and should especially consider getting the booster: People who work with the public or live with someone who works with the public; those who live or work with someone at high risk of severe COVID; those who live where COVID transmission rates are high; those who live in a congregate setting, or experience social inequity or other risk conditions.
Health officials say the vaccine reduces the chance of severe sickness and even death. More than 6,600 Kansans, or about one in every 440, have died from COVID, data shows.
All Kansas counties are currently experiencing a high risk of community transmission, state health officials said. Sedgwick County leads the state with over 84,000 COVID cases.
In the Kansas City area, there have been 80,595 cases in Johnson County and 28,603 in Wyandotte County, according to the state health department’s data.
State health officials say the boosters will help reduce the possibility of a winter COVID-19 surge.
Medical experts worry that cases could spike as the season of holiday gatherings arrives and mask mandates are being lifted.
“As we move into the winter months, Kansans will increasingly be indoors, putting themselves at greater risk of contracting the virus,” said Dr. Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Johnson County health officials on Wednesday urged residents to assess their risk of exposure to COVID before attending holiday gatherings this year and consider getting vaccinated.
Think about the age, health condition and vaccination status of people you’ll be around, said Sanmi Areola, director of the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment.
“Many of us missed getting together with loved ones last year and are ready to get back to normal,” said Areola. “This is a good thing, but the pandemic is not over.
“Cases are on the rise in Johnson County, and many other places. This is not the time to let our guard down as we move indoors where the virus can spread easily.”
To find a COVID-19 vaccine clinic visit Vaccines.gov.
In the Kansas City area, the rolling average of new COVID-19 cases continued to increase for the second consecutive week. The upswing has health officials concerned what will happen in the coming months as mask mandates expire and people head indoors for the winter months and for holiday celebrations.
“When you start taking off masks and you go indoors, people are going to get sick again and we’re going to see the increasing rise of COVID-19 numbers,” Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, said Tuesday. “And that’s exactly what we’re starting to see and I’m concerned.”
Kelly received a booster shot of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine last week, days after she held a news conference at a Topeka grocery store with Rep. John Alcala, a Topeka Democrat, who contracted a mild case of COVID-19.
Alcala was vaccinated. Kelly decided not to take a COVID test because she did not have symptoms and was not in close contact with Alcala.
Includes reporting by Michael Stavola of The Wichita Eagle and The Star’s Robert A. Cronkleton.
This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 11:50 AM with the headline "All Kansas adults can now get COVID booster shots: ‘End to this deadly pandemic’."
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