CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – On Friday, officials from the Iowa Department of Public Health clarified how it prioritizes who gets the one-time dose of Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. This comes after our i9 Investigative unit filed detailed complaints from local public health officials urging the state to give those doses to vulnerable populations. This also applies to people who are homeless, in prison or immigrants.
Linn County’s email to the state mentioned fairness because they wanted more control over who gets that Johnson and Johnson vaccine. County Health Leaders say a 1-dose vaccine is best used for people who are less likely to show up for a second appointment. These could be people who do not speak English, live in temporary housing, prisoners or homeless people.
While the state is allocating thousands of doses to counties for that purpose, 700 doses to Linn County, it is also giving thousands more to colleges and manufacturing companies. Linn County Public Health states that it is much easier to arrange second doses for those groups.
The county specifically pointed to the 3,200 doses of Johnson and Johnson given to employees at Collins Aerospace. The county says it would be easy to give those workers two doses at their in-house health clinic. We reached out to the company today to learn more about why their employees would need the one-dose option compared to just two doses. They haven’t returned to us yet.
On Friday, leaders of the Iowa Department of Public Health made it clear that the goal is to get people vaccinated quickly. It wants to get students who go home first – and then to the staff.
The state says Collins was part of the first wave of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. This was aimed at food processors and production facilities that cannot keep a social distance.
At the same time, leaders with Willis Dady told us they plan to work with Mercy officials to vaccinate people who are homeless in a few weeks using those Johnson and Johnson doses.
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