Sedgwick County opens vaccines to workers at grocery stores, restaurants and more

Grocery store employees, retail workers, delivery drivers and university employees are now eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccination by the Sedgwick County Health Department, county officials announced Thursday.

“We are asking our community partners and our businesses who are now going to be getting vaccines to make every effort to get those employees to the mass vaccination sites,” County Manager Tom Stolz said.

An increase in vaccine doses from the federal government and additional staff from the state have made it feasible for Sedgwick County to open a second mass-vaccination clinic and expand who is eligible to receive a shot.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas National Guard have sent additional personnel trained in administering shots to help the county open its second mass-vaccination center in Wichita.

That clinic will initially be open Friday and Saturday at Central Community Church 6100 W. Maple, east of Maple and Ridge. On Monday, it will move to the Sedgwick County Extension Center, 7001 W. 21st St., at the southeast corner of 21st and Ridge.

The Sedgwick County Health Department’s primary vaccine mega-site will continue administering the vaccine at 223 S. Main, the former Central Public Library, and a drive-through clinic at the Wichita Transit Operations Center, 777 E. Waterman.

All vaccines through the county health department are by appointment only. Schedule an appointment through the county’s website at sedgwickcounty.org/covid-19/vaccine/schedule/ or by calling 316-660-1029.

“We want to get the word out that we’re ready to bust through this and get everybody taken care of,” Sedgwick County Commission Chair Pete Meitzner said.

Thursday’s announcement cleared the way for the following groups of people to receive a first dose:

Phase 2A workers:

▪ Public safety workers: frontline and management, civilian and commissioned, in emergency management, law enforcement, fire and rescue services, security, public and private hazardous material responders, air medical service providers, corrections workers and search and rescue personnel, 911 workers, electrical grid and support workers, first responders, workers who support weather, disaster and natural hazard mitigation and prevention activities, child protection workers, court staff

▪ Childcare workers: licensed facilities only.

▪ Aviation manufacturing plants

▪ Meat processing plants

▪ Public transportation: public ground and air transportation, K-12 school bus drivers

▪ Veterinarians

▪ Workers and residents in other congregate settings, such as jails, homeless shelters and mental health facilities.

Phase 2B:

▪ United States Postal Services workers

▪ Higher education: faculty and staff in higher education at Wichita State University, WSU Tech, Friends University and Newman University.

▪ Clergy

Phase 2C:

▪ Private packaging and postal delivery: UPS and FedEx workers

▪ Uber and Lyft drivers

▪ Grocery stores and food services: Grocery workers, food workers and restaurant employees

▪ Agriculture: farm workers

▪ Retail: Employees who work in retail sales

Healthcare workers and long-term care facility staff and residents and anyone 65 or older who wants a vaccine and has not yet received it is also eligible. Adults with severe medical risks remain ineligible, and won’t be able to receive the vaccine until phase 3.

This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 4:09 PM.