Enough with the excuses — Kansans deserve a better shot at getting vaccines | Editorial

When Kansas was worst in the nation for its rate of coronavirus testing, state health officials cited a lack of testing supplies, laboratory delays, and confusion at the local level.

When the state struggled to respond to a massive surge of unemployment claims during COVID-19 shutdowns, the state’s labor department faulted a decades-old computer system.

Now we’re among the lowest in the country for our vaccination rate, and officials again are pointing fingers and making excuses.

Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration knew vaccines were coming and had months to prepare a comprehensive roll-out plan.

But as of Thursday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 36,500 Kansans had received a shot — less than 20% of the vaccinations distributed to the state.

That puts us ahead of Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia, but well behind Oklahoma, Colorado, Nebraska and most other states in our region.

Enough with the serial excuses. People are dying, and this administration has to do better.

On Thursday, Kelly released the final version of the state’s vaccination order, moving senior citizens into an earlier phase of the plan. It was a wise move based on CDC recommendations.

Now state and local leaders must ensure that vaccinations get where they’re needed — and quickly.

On Thursday, the U.S. recorded more than 4,000 deaths from COVID-19 — the highest number of deaths reported in a single day since the pandemic began. Experts say the toll is likely to continue, following increased travel and gatherings over the holidays.

In Kansas, positive test rates, hospitalizations and the rate of new cases per capita are improving, but local ICUs continue to operate at capacity.

Particularly unsettling is a recent report that oxygen supplies are running low in some areas, and paramedics and hospitals are being warned to conserve it.

Unfortunately — though not surprisingly — Kansas lacks an online dashboard that would tell residents where the vaccine is, how many doses have been administered, and when they might be able to get their shot.

Other states or metropolitan areas already have detailed dashboards showing which clinics have the vaccine, or interactive tools that allow users to get updates and notifications about their vaccine phase.

Here in Kansas, we’re still fighting for information about coronavirus clusters and struggling to get clear, consistent COVID-19 death counts.

Nothing about the pandemic has been easy. But during the months spent watching, waiting and hoping for a vaccine, Kansas agencies should have been better prepared to mobilize and get doses out to the public.

Kelly and her staff, along with local health agencies across the state, must make vaccines their No. 1 priority.

When it comes to defeating coronavirus and ending the pandemic, it’s our only shot.