Aviation, childcare, meatpacking workers eligible for COVID shots in Sedgwick County

Tens of thousands of workers in the Wichita area are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from the Sedgwick County Health Department regardless of age, county officials announced Monday.

While the county works to boost its vaccine program, its efforts to accelerate vaccinations for people with serious medical conditions has stalled at the state level, Sedgwick County Manager Tom Stolz said.

Approximately 30,000 workers in the aviation supply chain, 3,500 public safety officials, 1,700 licensed childcare providers and 1,100 meatpacking workers may begin scheduling appointments through the county’s website on Tuesday, Stolz said.

The county’s primary vaccination headquarters is at the former Downtown Public Library, 223 S. Main.

While anyone in an eligible group can be vaccinated at the library building, the county is also bringing the vaccine directly to some of its high priority groups.

Sedgwick County has been setting up “partner clinics” at area churches, along with the Black Nurses Association, to provide vaccines to people in historically underserved populations. On Sunday, a vaccine clinic will be held at Tabernacle Bible Church, 1817 Volutsia. Although the clinics are targeted at certain neighborhoods, the county is only vaccinating eligible groups.

Workers at some of Wichita’s largest employers — Spirit AeroSystems and Textron Aviation — will receive shots while at work, Stolz said.

“We will be doing some on-site vaccinations at their locations, both this week and next,” Stolz said.

While thousands of able-bodied, relatively young and healthy residents become eligible for the vaccine, people with serious conditions who would be at serious risk of dying if they catch the coronavirus remain ineligible.

Sedgwick County Commissioners requested the state’s governor and public health agency prioritize people with serious medical conditions last week. But based on conversations between County Health Officer Dr. Garold Minns and Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman, it’s unlikely that those with serious medical conditions will be moved up in the queue, Stolz said.

“We have been told no verbally a couple of times, but we have not received anything back in writing yet (from the state),” Stolz said.

County officials said it made sense to include that group as soon as possible. But they also said they worried vaccinating that group without the state’s go-ahead could jeopardize future shipments from the KDHE amid reports that it threatened to withhold vaccine shipments from Riley County if they went out of order.

In the early rollout of the COVID vaccine, Sedgwick County limited the jabs to healthcare workers and the general population by age. They’ve gradually worked down from 90 and older to 65 and above.

The county has also opened vaccination to K-12 school teachers and staff, at the governor’s direction, in an effort to reopen schools to in-person learning.

Stolz said the Sedgwick County Health Department had received about 140,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and had administered around 60,000 shots as of Monday, but the county’s total vaccination rate remains murky.

By the end of the week, Sedgwick County officials hope to add up the total number of people vaccinated at hospitals, pharmacies and other local health clinics, Stolz said.

This story was originally published March 8, 2021 at 4:55 PM.