Missouri House votes against proof-of-vaccine mandates

Posted on April 13, 2021 by KOAM TV 7

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Missouri House has voted to ban private businesses from requiring proof of vaccination from either employees or customers.

House lawmakers voted 88-56 Monday to tack the provision on another bill. There appears to be widespread opposition in the Republican-led Legislature to preemptively ban so-called vaccine passports. Vaccine passports are documentation that shows travelers have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Missouri bill advanced Monday goes further by banning private businesses from requiring proof of any vaccination. Bipartisan critics say businesses such as nursing homes should be allowed to require employees or visitors to show they’ve been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Kansas suspends Johnson & Johnson vaccine distribution

Posted on April 13, 2021 by KOAM TV 7

MISSION, Kan. (AP) – Kansas’ top health official said Tuesday that the state is suspending distribution of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccines as federal health officials investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots.

(Previous Story: US recommends ‘pause’ for J&J vaccine over clot reports)

Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, predicted the pause won’t have a “big impact” on the state’s overall rate of shots. That’s because less than 4% of the shots administered in Kansas have been from Johnson & Johnson, according to KDHE data.

However, Norman noted some clinics scheduled for Tuesday morning had been put on hold, The Kansas City Star reports.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a huge setback because the last few weeks we talked about all the Johnson & Johnson vaccine we were supposed to be getting but for a variety of production and other reasons, it never materialized,” Norman said.

David Wild, vice president of performance improvement at the University of Kansas Health System, said the pause is a signal that the country’s vaccine safety mechanisms are working as designed.

“There are people up and awake 24 hours a day looking for these types of things to make sure that it is safe for the people receiving the vaccines in your community, in the country, in the world,” Wild said.

Missouri expands vaccine eligibility to all adults today

Posted on April 9, 2021 by KOAM TV 7

JOPLIN, Mo. – Starting Friday all adults in Missouri are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Anyone 16 and above who did not already qualify for the vaccine can get their shot as the State of Missouri moves into Phase 3. Phase 3 comes just 12 days after the state moved into Phase 2.

Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas expanded eligibility to 16 and up last week.

In Joplin, Freeman Health System accepts applications for its first Phase 3 vaccine clinic. One takes place today from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. You need to pre-register by phone at (417) 502-SHOT or online at freemanhealth.com/service/covid-19 to setup an appointment.

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Medday Thursday: Battling vaccine hesitation & misconceptions

Posted on April 8, 2021 by KOAM TV 7

Part 1 Vaccine Hesitation:

Part 2 Vaccine Misconceptions:

PITTSBURG, Kan. – Crawford County Health Officer Dr. Tim Stebbins talked with Michael Hayslip about COVID-19 vaccine hesitation and the common misconceptions surrounding it.

Parson says he won’t require vaccine passports in Missouri

Posted on April 1, 2021 by KOAM TV 7

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Governor Mike Parson won’t require “vaccine passports” in Missouri. He did however say he’s OK with private companies adopting them.

Parson spoke today during his afternoon press briefing regarding COVID-19.

With vaccine passports, travelers could document that they got the COVID-19 vaccination, or at least recently tested negative for the virus.

Technology companies and travel-related trade groups are developing and testing out vaccine passports to encourage travel.

Some Republican lawmakers in Missouri have raised concerns with the concept of health certificates or travel passes. They say requiring the documents would infringe on people’s right to travel and want to ban them.

Update: Kansas lawmakers revoke governor’s statewide mask order

Posted on April 1, 2021 by KOAM TV 7

TOPEKA, Kan. – Update: The Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council voted, 5-2, Thursday afternoon to revoke a statewide mask mandate. The decision came just hours after Gov. Laura Kelly issued the new executive order Thursday morning.

Speaker Ron Ryckman (R-Olathe), Majority Leader Dan Hawkins (R-Wichita), and Speaker Pro Tem Blaine Finch (R-Ottawa) issued the following joint statement:

“Public health mandates should be short-term, data-driven and reserved only for pressing emergency situations. They should not be used to dictate Kansans’ daily lives year after year. If data is the real driver behind the Governor’s approach, then let’s rely on the numbers. In November, the Governor issued her last statewide mask mandate saying there was a “worrying spike” in cases. At that time, Kansas had 5,217 new cases and a 7-day average of 2,430 new cases. Now, Kansas has only 36 new cases and a 7-day average of 216 cases.

Kansans have banded together for over a year to successfully reduce the spread of COVID – and they’ve done so during a time when most counties had opted out of the Governor’s mask mandate. With cases dropping and no data to support the need for another statewide mandate, the best approach has proven to be local control. We support the continued ability of communities to tailor solutions that work for them, and we urge all Kansans to continue to practice recommended measures of infection control for their health and the health of those around them.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday issued an order aimed at encouraging Kansas counties to keep COVID-19 mask mandates, but the policy seemed unlikely to survive the day.

Kelly’s order requires people to wear masks in indoor businesses and public spaces and outdoors when they can’t socially distance. State law gives counties the final say, but her order means that their elected county commissions must take a specific vote to set less restrictive rules or opt out.

The governor said in a statement that the order would ensure that past efforts to check the virus “will not have been wasted.”

A Kansas law that took effect last week gives eight top legislators the power to revoke an order issued by the governor because of a pandemic or other emergency. Those lawmakers planned to meet Thursday afternoon, and the six Republicans in the group have signaled that they will revoke the mask policy.

Kelly issued a similar mask policy in November, but the new law required the governor to reissue it after Wednesday.

Republicans in both chambers approved resolutions this week directing legislative leaders to rescind a statewide mask policy. GOP lawmakers argue it’s unnecessary, given a sharp decline in new COVID-19 cases this winter.

Southeast Kansas county updates as state enters COVID-19 Vaccine Phase 5

Posted on March 30, 2021 by KOAM TV 7

KANSAS – On Monday, March 29, 2021, Kansas entered the state’s final Phase 5 of the COVID-19 vaccine plan. Now, all Kansas 16 and older can get the vaccine.

Only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved for 16- and 17-year-olds, while the vaccines from Moderna and J&J are approved for those 18 and older. So, some counties may not be able to schedule anyone under 18 at this time.

Below is a look at updates and plans laid out by southeast Kansas counties. (Learn more about vaccines in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma here)

Allen County

According to the SEK Multi-County Health Department, there are no clinics currently scheduled for the week of March 29
Call the SEK Multi-County Health Department at 620-365-2191 for an appointment or to get on the waiting list.

Bourbon County

According to the SEK Multi-County Health Department, a COVID-19 vaccine clinic is scheduled for April 6th, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Bourbon County Health Department.
- Health Department Office is located at 524 South Lowman Street in Fort Scott
Residents eligible include those 18 and older. They will require appointments.
- Call 620-223-4464 to make an appointment

Cherokee County

According to Public Information Officer David Groves, the county will continue to move forward with vaccine distribution in the same manner as they have. They will continue to do drive-thru clinics that require appointments
They will not be vaccinating residents who are under 18 because they only have the Moderna vaccine, which does not have approval for use in people under 18.
Residents can call 620-429-3087 to make an appointment.

Crawford County

Crawford County has several clinics scheduled for this week
- March 31, 2021: Crawford County Fairgrounds Drive thru clinic, Noon to 6:00 pm. No appointment needed. First come first served.
- March 31, 2021: Lincoln Center, 9:00 am to 2:30 pm. For those who have made appointments already, your vaccine is reserved. We will also take drop-ins.
- April 1, 2021: Crawford County Health Department, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. This clinic will be for those wanting the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. First come, first served.
For faster service at any of the upcoming clinics, download the vaccine consent form from the Crawford County website and have it completed before you arrive – https://www.crawfordcountykansas.org/coronavirus.html

Labette County

The Labette County Health Department makes announcements of open slots for COVID-19 vaccine appointments on social media (Facebook).

Neosho County

According to the Neosho County Health Department, the hospital still requires appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Health Department has started doing some walk-in clinics which they announce on Facebook.
The Health Department is only vaccinating those 18 and older.

Wilson County

To sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine in Wilson County, contact the following (all vaccine sites are by appointment only)
- Wilson County Health Department: 620-378-4455
- Porter Drug Store: 620-325-2671
- Fredonia Regional Hospital: 620-378-2121
- Wilson Medical Center – http://www.wilsonmedical.org

Woodson County

According to the SEK Multi-County Health Department, there are no clinics currently scheduled for the week of March 29
Call 620-625-2484 for an appointment or to get on the waiting list.

New Spire program to help customers with rent, utility bills

Posted on March 29, 2021 by KOAM TV 7

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Spire Missouri offers rent and utility bill help for residential customers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

The State Assistance for Housing Relief (SAFHR) program allows renters across Missouri assistance with past-due rent and utility bills dating back to April 2020 and up to three months of future rent and energy expenses.

Missouri’s Housing Development Commission administers the SAFHR program.

Customers can apply through the SAFHR program or through similar programs throughout the state to access relief. The federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program and the U.S. Department of Treasury fund these programs.

“With so many people experiencing financial hardship due to the pandemic, help with rental and utility expenses is critical to our customers and communities,” said Scott Carter, president of Spire Missouri. “Fortunately, there are great resources available through the State Assistance for Housing Relief program to assist people with past-due bills when they need it most.”

Qualifications

To qualify for SAFHR, an individual must currently live in a residential rental property in Missouri and have a household income at or below 80% of the area median income (based on the most recent 30 days or the 2020 annual income). In addition, a tenant must be receiving unemployment benefits or have experienced a reduction in household income and incurred significant costs or financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Applications for assistance are available now through Sept. 30, 2021. To learn more about the SAFHR program and how to apply, visit https://spireenergy.com/missouri-rental-assistance.

About Spire

Spire is a natural-gas utilities company. They serve 1.7 million homes and businesses in Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri. You can learn more at SpireEnergy.com.

Oklahoma enters Phase 4 of COVID-19 vaccination plan

Posted on March 29, 2021 by KOAM TV 7

OKLAHOMA CITY – All adult Oklahomans are now eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.

Starting today, March 29, 2021, Oklahoma entered the Phase 4 of its COVID-19 vaccine plan.

The vaccine is available at no cost. Oklahomans 16+ can register through the state’s Vaccine Scheduler Portal at vaccinate.ok.gov if they haven’t done so already. After registration, they will see available phase 4 appointments on the portal starting March 29. Appointments for phases 1-3 will also remain available on the portal.

As a reminder, the state’s vaccine portal is just one option for scheduling an appointment — vaccine appointments are also available through many other local pandemic providers across the state. You can ask your personal healthcare provider about the vaccine, or you can use the federal vaccine locator at vaccinefinder.org to check for appointments at local pharmacies.

“Opening phase 4 is certainly a milestone, but we haven’t won the fight yet,” said Keith Reed, Oklahoma’s Deputy Commissioner of Health. “We’ve met some ambitious goals leading the state’s largest vaccination effort in a very short period of time. However, we can’t let our guard down just yet. Now that everyone is eligible, don’t wait to get your vaccine. The best thing you can do to protect yourself and others is to get it as soon as you’re able.”

Monday, March 29, 2021 Update

<div id="text-d42a6e9231" class="cmp-text" data-cmp-data-layer="{"text-d42a6e9231":{"repo:modifyDate":"2021-03-29T15:52:20Z","@type":"sok-wcm/components/content/v1/text","xdm:text":"

As of this advisory, there are 437,853 (194 new today) cases of COVID-19 in Oklahoma.

343 is today’s 7-day rolling average for the number of new cases reported.

Today’s Provisional Death Count (CDC/NCHS): 7,835

Additional hospitalization data can be found in the Hospital Tiers report, published evenings Monday through Friday.

Register online to receive a notification when you’re eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at vaccinate.oklahoma.gov, or locate other vaccine opportunities at vaccinefinder.org.

For more information, visit https://oklahoma.gov/covid19.html.

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As of this advisory, there are 437,853 (194 new today) cases of COVID-19 in Oklahoma.
343 is today’s 7-day rolling average for the number of new cases reported.
Today’s Provisional Death Count (CDC/NCHS): 7,835
Additional hospitalization data can be found in the Hospital Tiers report, published evenings Monday through Friday.
Register online to receive a notification when you’re eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at vaccinate.oklahoma.gov, or locate other vaccine opportunities at vaccinefinder.org.
For more information, visit https://oklahoma.gov/covid19.html.

Kansas opens up vaccinations to all adults starting Monday

Posted on March 26, 2021 by KOAM TV 7

Governor Laura Kelly today announced that starting next Monday, March 29, 2021, 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.

“With the anticipated increase in supply from the federal government, we must get every dose of vaccine into arms quickly,” Kelly said in a news release. “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.”

(Click here for more information on the vaccine in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma)

The state opened up vaccinations to those with underlying health conditions and larger group of essential workers just this week. The previous phases had focuses on health care workers, nursing home residents, adults over the age of 65, key workers such as teachers and prisoners.

State Sen. Molly Baumgardner, a Louisburg Republican and member of the Senate health committee, said people have already found it necessary to get on multiple vaccine lists and even drive long distances to get shots, and she’s worried that those problems will “cascade” with more people eligible. Also, she said, she wants people with chronic medical conditions to get their inoculations ahead of younger, healthier people.

“It has not been smooth,” Baumgardner said. “It still is this ping pong for folks to figure out, how do I find out where and when I can get that vaccination?”

As of Friday, 35.1% of the adult population in Kansas had received at least one dose of the vaccine.

The vaccine rollout has coincided with a drop in cases. The number of new cases increased by just 506 to 301,433 from Wednesday to Friday, and the number of deaths rose by 10 to 4,891.

But there are concerns that the numbers could again rise as variants begin to spread. Health officials in the Lawrence area announced Thursday that they had detected the first case of a more contagious coronavirus variant first identified in the United Kingdom. Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health said in a news release that the case is among about 30 total in Kansas in recent weeks.

“With what we are seeing with the virus in other parts of the country right now, we don’t want to let our guards down,” said Douglas County’s Deputy Local Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Schrimsher. “It’s important to not get complacent even as thankfully more and more people in our community are getting vaccinated, especially those at most risk for experiencing death or hospitalization.”

Release from the Governor’s Office

Mar 26, 2021

“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 8^th state to make the vaccine available to all adults, joining Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Utah, and West Virginia.

As of March 26, 35.1% of the adult population in Kansas had received at least one dose of the vaccine.

In the early part of the vaccination program (December 2020 – February 2021), 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 (LHDs) 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.

Kansans are encouraged to use the Vaccine Finder tool to find the nearest location with available vaccine.

About the COVID-19 vaccines:

COVID-19 Vaccines work: New England Journal of Medicine published a study on Feb. 24 that found researchers in Israel and the U.S. report that the vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech was highly effective in protecting against infection with the COVID-19 virus, lowering people’s chances of getting sick with the disease—especially severe disease—and dropping COVID-19 hospitalization rates.
Scientists have been researching mRNA technology, which makes it possible to create a vaccine faster, for years to prepare for potential infectious viruses. This research and the high supply of volunteers for clinical trials led to the relatively quick development of the COVID-19 vaccines.
COVID-19 vaccines must meet rigorous standards and have undergone the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. The three COVID-19 vaccines had to meet safety and effectiveness standards to be approved for Emergency Use Authorization and have been evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials.

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