Sedgwick County picks west Wichita for second mass-vaccination site

Sedgwick County is opening a short-term coronavirus vaccination clinic this week in west Wichita before opening a longer-term mass-vaccination site next week, allowing the county’s health department to vaccinate thousands more people each week.

Thursday to Saturday, the Sedgwick County Health Department will give COVID shots at Central Community Church, 6100 W. Maple, east of Maple and Ridge.

On Monday, the county will open its second mass-vaccination site at the Sedgwick County Extension Center, 7001 W. 21st St., at the southeast corner of 21st and Ridge.

Vaccine appointments at the Extension Center will be available by appointment only from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Saturday, for at least three weeks. Schedule an appointment through the county’s website at sedgwickcounty.org/covid-19/vaccine/schedule/.

A second site is possible because the Kansas Department of Health and Environment will soon provide to the county more vaccine doses and additional personnel who are trained to administer shots.

The second vaccine site is expected to be staffed primarily by KDHE workers and members of the Kansas National Guard, county officials have said.

The added clinic and additional workers would expand the county’s existing vaccine program outside of the downtown Wichita, where the county runs a mass-vaccination site at the former Wichita Central Library, 223 S. Main, and a drive-through clinic at the Wichita Transit Operation Center, 777 E. Waterman, for people with mobility problems.

The county’s list of eligible population groups includes anyone 65 or older, healthcare workers, K-12 school personnel, aviation and supply chain workers, public safety officials, licensed childcare providers and workers in public transportation.

This story was originally published March 10, 2021 at 2:09 PM.