Governor Laura Kelly on Friday announced that starting Monday, the State of Kansas will make the COVID-19 vaccine available to all Kansans (16+), entering the final Phase 5 of the Vaccine Prioritization plan.
Sedgwick County on Wednesday stated it's ready to move into the plan.
“With the anticipated increase in supply from the federal government, we must get every dose of vaccine into arms quickly,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I strongly encourage every Kansan to get the COVID-19 vaccine so we can get back to school, back to work, and back to normal.”
Kansas will become the eighth state to make the vaccine available to all adults, joining Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Utah, and West Virginia.
35% of the adult population in Kansas has received at least one dose of the vaccine.
In the early part of the vaccination program from December to February, limited federal supply led to demand for vaccine consistently outstripping supply.
However, the supply increases of recent weeks have reversed this situation. Local health departments and providers have started reporting a decline in demand despite the state opening to Phases 3 and 4 populations. To ensure no vaccine goes to waste, the Kelly administration decided to open eligibility to all Kansans.