TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – The Coffey County Health Department is gearing up to assist in the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of this month for Phase 2 of the state’s plan; however, none of their four nurses will actually administer it.
In a phone call with 13 News Wednesday (Jan. 13), health department administrator Lindsay Payer said neither she nor her staff are “comfortable” about administering the vaccine. Instead, the county health department will contract with at least one outside nurse to give the vaccine and possibly other suppliers. They will use COVID funds to cover it. Payer says these are personal decisions made individually and not without much thought.
“I’ll tell you we need to hire outside staff to give that vaccine because my staff are uncomfortable with it,” Payer told the commissioners at their January 4 meeting. “It’s a new technology. We’ve never seen it before. It was only studied in 45 people before it was approved, and the companies that made the vaccine don’t have to … all liability is gone from them. So if there’s anything bad about the vaccine, it won’t go back to them. This is well known, and it is somewhat uncomfortable for a nurse to have to put that in people’s bodies. So we will find nurses who are willing to do that. I am not. My staff is not there at the moment. “
However, it is clear that the county’s physician, Dr. Jeff Sloyer, does not share the concerns of the health department. At the meeting of the county commission last Monday (Jan. 11), he told the commissioners:
“Both vaccines have been very well studied,” Solyer assured the commissioners. “The Pfizer had more than 40,000 people in their process, and the Moderna had 30,000 people in their process, so I think that’s a good thing.” Sloyer told the commissioners that the January 6 meeting caused a lot of confusion and reactions on social media.
As of January 8, the Coffey County Weekly Update had 27 active COVID cases – 12 new cases and 16 recoveries.
In a phone call Wednesday morning (Jan. 13), Payer told 13 News that this is a personal decision on the part of every staff member and is not intended to send a message – for or against getting the vaccine. She stresses that they don’t want to be a barrier to someone getting the vaccine and that they want to create a plan to ensure that all residents of Coffey County who want to get vaccinated during Phase 2 can get vaccinated. Members of the public 65 and older will eventually be able to get the COVID vaccine, likely by the end of this month. The health department has started a waiting list – one that grew to over 200 people in just a few days from Monday’s committee meeting. Payer says they have spoken to Coffey Health System, indicating they may be willing to assist the health department in administering the vaccine. Additionally, Payer says that, like the regional health department, local pharmacies have also applied to KDHE to give the vaccine. She believes there will be no shortage of places or opportunities for residents of Coffey County to receive the vaccine.
Payer points out that it is not uncommon for regional health departments to contract with outside providers for services such as vaccinations. She told 13 News that this is “not new, not unexpected” and that they “choose as licensed professionals” to decide whether or not to administer a vaccine.
“Health departments across the state are considered vaccine experts,” Payer said in the phone call to 13 News. “We know the time it takes to develop a good vaccine and the research that goes into it. We have not made this decision lightly. We made this decision using the information we have. We want to maintain our integrity. Nurses are known to be the most trusted profession, and we want to maintain that trust. We want the public to make the best decision for them. “
Last Monday, Dr. Sloyer told commissioners that the health department has been working very hard on the public vaccination plan. They have applied to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to receive the COVID vaccine and are maintaining an application list for residents. In addition, due to potential liability issues, the health department will require those receiving the vaccine to sign a waiver. Dr. Solyer told the commissioners they will receive the Moderna vaccine. Because patients will need to be monitored for a short time after the vaccine, Coffey County will settle to give their public vaccinations at the shelter. While he notes that reactions to the vaccine have been very rare, they will have Epipens and Benadryl on hand, along with EMS.
At last week’s meeting (Jan. 4), Payer told commissioners that COVID is now part of our everyday lives – compared to colds and flu.
“I think it is safe to say that COVID is now endemic to our community,” said Payer. ‘We know it’s here to stay. We know it cannot be controlled. It’s a virus. You cannot stop a virus. We still do everything we can, but it is what it is. It’s just going to be part of what we’re dealing with right now. As a community, we will likely have to make some decisions about what that means, and how much more resources we are going to deploy for this. Knowing it’s here it’s like a cold or flu. It’s normal now. That’s exactly what it is. “
We contacted Coffey County Medical Officer, Dr. Jeff Sloyer, the county commission’s administrative assistant, and also a spokesman for KDHE for comment on this story.
Copyright 2021 WIBW. All rights reserved.