Some COVID-19 vaccinations delayed for Kansas City patients, providers say
Some Kansas City vaccine providers are reporting shortages of the new COVID-19 vaccine, causing appointment delays and cancellations.
Even Dr. Steve Stites, the chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, said in a news briefing Wednesday morning that he hasn’t yet gotten the new shot.
“Let’s be honest here: I have not had my follow-up COVID monovalent vaccination yet, because they weren’t available to the health system. We just got them in,” he said. He added that he hopes to get vaccinated next week.
Stites isn’t alone — Dr. Dana Hawkinson, the hospital’s medical director of infection prevention and control, said that he has heard anecdotes of shortages around the region. He shared that his children’s appointments to get vaccinated at a local retail pharmacy were canceled without warning.
“The vaccines haven’t been available — I think that is very frustrating,” he said in Wednesday’s briefing. “Out in the community overall, there is a lack of the supply of the vaccine going around.”
Is there a COVID vaccine shortage in Kansas City?
As health departments and pharmacies tout the importance of getting the newest COVID-19 shot, supply issues appear to be causing periodic shortages around the metro.
“We’ve had several issues with our COVID-19 vaccine supply this year,” said Kindle Biermann, a spokesperson for Jackson County Public Health. “The Moderna vaccine was not available to us in a timely manner, so we’re offering only Pfizer. And even the Pfizer has been difficult to stock.”
She added that while the health department hasn’t yet had to turn away vaccine seekers, its appointment availability is limited due to supply issues elsewhere.
“Because many others are experiencing these challenges, we are getting a lot of requests for appointments,” she said.
The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment has also experienced delays in vaccine shipments. Spokesperson Barbara Mitchell said Wednesday that the department is currently awaiting a shipment of pediatric vaccines for those aged six months to 11 years old.
“Once (a) shipment is received, the vaccine is distributed quickly due to demand,” she said.
Do local pharmacies have the new COVID-19 vaccine in stock?
Many patients choose to get vaccinated at their local pharmacy — but not all pharmacies have appointments available to get the newest COVID-19 shot.
While Walgreens and Hy-Vee are both advertising available vaccination appointments as soon as Wednesday afternoon in central Kansas City, they are harder to find at CVS.
Between the 11 CVS locations within a six-mile radius of Midtown, the earliest COVID-19 vaccination appointment available isn’t until Wednesday, Oct. 25. Four of the 11 locations have no appointments available through the end of October.
Patients may want to call their local pharmacy before or after making an appointment to verify that they have the new vaccine in stock.
Where is the new COVID-19 vaccine available in Kansas City?
Shortages and supply issues aren’t impacting everyone equally. For instance, a spokesperson for the Platte County Health Department said that they haven’t experienced any problems so far.
Some pharmacies in Kansas City are offering appointments as soon as the same day depending on what location you choose to visit. And a spokesperson for Children’s Mercy Hospital said that they are recommending patients get vaccinated by their primary care physicians.
To find a vaccine appointment near you, contact your local health department, pharmacy or medical provider to check their availability. You can also enter your ZIP code at Vaccines.gov.
Do you have more questions about staying safe from COVID-19 in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
