TOPEKA, Canada (WIBW) – The Coffey County Department of Health is preparing to help distribute the COVID-19 vaccine before the end of this month for Phase 2 of the state plan; however, none of his 4 nurses will actually administer it.
In a call with 13 News on Wednesday (January 13), health department administrator Lindsay Payer said neither she nor her staff “feel comfortable” giving the vaccine. Instead, the county health department will hire at least one outside nurse to administer the vaccine and possibly other providers. They will use COVID funds to cover it. Payer says these are personal decisions made individually and not without considerable reflection.
“I will tell you that we will have to hire external staff to our staff to make this vaccine because my staff is not comfortable with it,” Payer told commissioners at the Jan. 4 meeting. “It’s a new technology. We had never seen him. It was only studied in 45 people before it was approved and the companies that have made the vaccine do not have to do it … all responsibility is gone. Therefore, if there is something wrong with the vaccine, it will not return them. This is widely known and is a bit annoying for a nurse who has to put this on people’s bodies. Therefore, we will find nurses who are willing to do so. I am not. My staff is not there at the moment “.
However, it is clear that the county doctor, Dr. Jeff Sloyer, does not share the concerns of health department staff. At the county commission meeting last Monday (January 11), he told commissioners:
“Both vaccines were very well studied,” Solyer assured commissioners. “Pfizer’s had over 40,000 people in its judgment, and Moderna’s had 30,000 in its judgment, so I think that’s fine.” Sloyer told commissioners that the Jan. 6 meeting caused a great deal of confusion and response on social media.
As of Jan. 8, the weekly Coffey County update had 27 active cases of COVID: 12 new cases and 16 recoveries.
In a phone call Wednesday morning (January 13), Payer told 13 News that this is a personal decision by each staff member and that he does not intend to send any message, for or against the vaccine. . He insists they don’t want to be a barrier to anyone getting the vaccine and are moving forward with the implementation of a plan to ensure that all Coffey County residents who want to get vaccinated during Phase 2 can be. Members 65 and older will be able to get rid of the COVID vaccine, probably later this month. The health department has started a waiting list, which at Monday’s committee meeting had grown to more than 200 people in just a few days. Payer says they have spoken to the Coffey health system, which indicates they may be willing to provide help to the health department to give the vaccine. In addition, Payer says that, like the county health department, local pharmacies have also applied to KDHE for the vaccine. He believes there will be no shortage of places or opportunities for Coffey County residents to get the vaccine.
Payer points out that it is not uncommon for county health departments to contract with outside providers for services such as vaccinations. He told 13 News that this “is not new, it is not unexpected” and his “choice as licensed professionals” to decide whether or not to administer a vaccine.
“Health departments across the state are considered experts in vaccination,” Payer said in the phone call with 13 News. “We know how long it takes to develop a good vaccine and the study that goes into it. We didn’t make that decision lightly. We made this decision using the information we have. We want to maintain our integrity. Nurses are known to be the most confident profession and we want to maintain that confidence. 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 submitted their application to the Kansas Department of Health and the Environment to receive the COVID vaccine and maintain a list of registrations for residents. In addition, due to possible liability issues, the health department will require those who receive the vaccine to sign a waiver. Dr. Solyer told the commissioners that they will receive the Modern vaccine. Because patients must be monitored shortly after vaccination, Coffey County will be set up to make their vaccines public at the recreation center. Although he points out 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 (January 4), Payer told commissioners that COVID is now part of our daily lives, comparing it to the cold and the flu.
“I think it’s safe to say that COVID is endemic now in our community,” Payer said. “We know he is here to stay. We know it cannot be controlled. It’s a virus. A virus cannot be stopped. We keep doing everything we can, but it’s what it is. It will simply be part of what we have to deal with now. As a community, we probably need to make some decisions about what this means and how many more resources we will offer. Knowing it’s here, it’s like the cold or the flu. It is normal now. That is exactly what it is. “
We have contacted the Coffey County medical doctor, Dr. Jeff Sloyer, administrative assistant to the county commission, and also with a KDHE spokesman to comment on the story.
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