ANY ADDITIONAL SNOW IN OUR FORECAST, COMING UP.
KELLY: THIS AFTERNOON, THE FIRST DOSES OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE HAVE OFFICIALLY ARRIVED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS HEALTH SYSTEM.
KMBC 9’S KELEIGH GIBBS IS THERE LIVE WITH THE LATEST.
>> IT IS EXCITING NEWS HERE FOR EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE HEALTH CARE WORKERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS HEALTH SYSTEM.
I’M TOLD NOW THAT THE VACCINES ARE HERE, THE GOAL IS TO ADMINISTER 1000 DOSES A WEEK UNTIL EVERYONE HERE RECEIVES IT.
THE HEALTH SYSTEM IS PLANNING TO START THOSE VACCINATIONS WITH FRONT-LINE WORKERS FIRST.
THERE ARE 14,000 EMPLOYEES HERE LOCALLY, INCLUDING PHYSICIANS.
RIGHT NOW, 270 OF THEM ARE NOT WORKING BECAUSE THEY EITHER ARE QUARANTINING OR HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH COVID-19.
NO WORD JUST YET REGARDING WHEN THOSE FIRST DOSES WILL BE ADMINISTERED.
WE WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING REACTION FROM THE CHIEF NURSING OFFICER HERE, COMING UP AT 5:00.
REPORTING IN KANSAS CITY, KANSAS , KELEIGH GIBBS, KMBC 9 NEWS.
KELLY: ST. LUKE’S RECEIVED ITS FIRST SHIPMENT OF THE PFIZER VACCINE.
THE HOSPITAL PLANS TO BEGIN VACCINATING ITS FRONT-LINE WORKERS ON THURSDAY.
KANSAS GOVERNOR LAURA KELLY SAYS DISTRIBUTION OF THE PFIZER VACCINE WILL RAMP UP TOMORROW AND THURSDAY IN THE SUNFLOWER STATE.
WE KNOW THE FIRST SHIPMENTS OF THE VACCINE ARE ALREADY ON THE GROUND.
VACCINES WILL GO TO HOSPITALS, HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, PHARMACIES, AND EMS PROVIDERS.
THIS WEEK, THE GOVERNOR IS WORKING ON A PLAN TO PRIORITIZE WHO GETS THE VACCINE AND WHEN.
>> WE’RE WORKING NOW WITH OUR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ADVISORY GROUPS TO DETERMINE HOW WE SEQUENCE OF THE REST OF THE VACCINATIONS.
OBVIOUSLY, WE NEED TO WE NEED TO GET TO OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
WE NEED TO GET TO OUR ELDERLY POPULATION.
WE NEED TO GET TO FOLKS IN THE POPULATION WITH COMORBIDITIES AND SO ON.
KELLY: THE GOVERNOR EXPECTS 150,000 VACCINE DOSES BY THE END OF THE MONTH, INCLUDING 49,000 DOSES OF THE MODERNA VACCINE NEXT WEEK.
IN LAWRENCE, YOU’LL BE ABLE TO STAY IN YOUR CAR TO GET A COVID-19 VACCINE.
MATT FLENER GOT A PREVIEW OF THE VACCINE DRIVE-THRU CLINIC AT LAWRENCE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.
>> THREE DIFFERENT LANES, AN OUTDOOR VACCINATION CLINIC AT LAWRENCE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, AND WORKERS SAY THEY’RE READY.
>> WE ARE EXPECTING ANYWHERE BETWEEN 200 AND 300 PEOPLE PER DAY.
>> PART OF THE PARKING LOT AT LAWRENCE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL HAS A NEW PURPOSE.
A DRIVE-THRU VACCINE CENTER, TO START GIVING THE FIRST DOSES OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE IN DOUGLAS COUNTY WHEN IT ARRIVES.
THE OUTDOOR VACCINE CENTER WILL ALLOW HEALTHCARE WORKERS TO COME THROUGH THE DRIVE-THRU LANES FIRST, FOLLOWED BY THOSE NEXT IN LINE IN THE KANSAS VACCINATION PLAN.
THE DECISION TO VACCINATE OUTDOORS IS DRIVEN BY KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE.
>> WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE.
JUST BECAUSE THE VACCINE IS HERE DOES NOT MEAN THAT STOPS THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.
WORKERS HERE ARE STILL WAITING TO SEE WHEN THEY’LL RECEIVE THOSE FIRST VACCINES.
KELLY: THE VACCINE CENTER AT LAWRENCE MEMORIAL PLANS TO BE OPEN FROM 7:30 TO 4:00 DURING THE WEEK AND 7:30 TO 2:00 ON WEEKENDS.
MODERNA’S COVID-19 VACCINE IS NEXT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES.
AN ADVISORY PANEL TO THE FDA RELEASED A BRIEFING DOCUMENT AHEAD OF ITS MEETING THURSDAY.
IT CONFIRMS THE VACCINE’S EFFICACY IS AT 94.5%.
THE VACCINE WILL BE KEY IN MORE RURAL AREAS BECAUSE IT DOESN’T NEED TO BE KEPT AS COLD AS THE PFIZER VACCINE.
TAKING A LOOK AT THE POSITIVITY RATE IN BOTH KANSAS AND MISSOURI.
RIGHT NOW, KANSAS IS AT 16.1%.
THE STATE OF MISSOURI IS HOLDING STEADY AT 17.9%.
THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS REPORTING A MAJOR SPIKE IN THE STATE’S DEATH TOLL WITH MORE 200 NEW CASES.
THE LARGE NUMBER IS BECAUSE OF A BACKLOG OF CASES REPORTED DURING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT’S CHECK OF DEATH CERTIFICATES.
180 CASES WERE FROM NOVEMBER.
22 FROM DECEMBER.
FOUR WERE FROM OCTOBER AND TWO FROM AUGUST.
ON TOP OF THE WEEKLY CHECK, THE STATE REPORTED 32 DEATHS SINCE MONDAY’S UPDATE.
MEANWHILE, WE’RE STARTING TO SEE COMMERCIALS URGING PEOPLE TO GET TESTED, AND SOON, TO GET VACCINATED, FOR THE VIRUS.
MICHEAL MAHONEY HAS MORE ON THE CAMPAIGNS COMING TO YOUR TV SCREEN.
>> THE PUSH IN KANSAS RIGHT NOW IS TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO TAKE A COVID-19 TEST.
>> I AM HERE TO TELL YOU HOW IT IS.
>> THERE ARE SIX COMMERCIALS IN THIS SERIES, ALL WITH THE SAME BLUNT TONE, PART OF KANSAS’ GO GET TESTED.COM CAMPAIGN.
NOW THAT VACCINATIONS ARE STARTING, MISSOURI WILL START A TV CAMPAIGN NEXT WEEK.
>> PHYSICIANS THAT WILL BE REALLY TELLING THEIR EXPERT OPINIONS ABOUT KIND OF THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF THIS VACCINE PROCESS THAT WE’RE EXPERIENCING AND JUST PROVIDE
SOME EDUCATION ON ALL OF THAT.
>> BECAUSE SURVEYS ARE SHOWING THERE IS A RESISTANCE TO VACCINES.
>> NOW THERE WILL ALWAYS BE, OUT IN THE GENERAL POPULATION -- THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WILL NOT TAKE ANY VACCINE.
EVEN A TETANUS SHOT.
>> THE BIGGEST THING FOR US WITH THIS CAMPAIGN IS COMBATTING THE MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION THAT’S OUT THERE.
>> MISSOURI’S HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS EVEN STARTED A RUMOR CONTROL PAGE TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS.
SOME HEALTH EXPERTS THINK THE BEST RUMOR CONTROL WILL BE THE RESULTS OF THE VACCINE ITSELF.
>> I THINK THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE CURRENTLY HAVE SOME -- MAY BE SAYING THEY MAY NOT GET IT, I THINK THEY’LL ACTUALLY TURN AROUND AND GET IT EVENTUALLY.
>> WE ARE ALREADY SEEING THE COMMERCIALS URGING KANSANS TO GET TESTED.
STARTING NEXT WEEK, THERE W