Sedgwick County is now offering vaccines to residents in all categories in Phase 2 of the state’s vaccination plan.
Phase 2 includes public safety, higher education, restaurant, aviation and transportation workers, along with workers in about a dozen other critical industries. Congregate settings, like homeless shelters, are also included.
“We’re ready to bust through this and get everybody taken care of,” County Commission Chairman Pete Meitzner said during a news conference Thursday afternoon.
The county has so far vaccinated residents 65 and older, health care workers, and K-12 teachers and staff. Earlier this week, it began vaccinating some employment groups in Phase 2.
In addition to its clinic at the former central library downtown, the county opened a second mass vaccine clinic Thursday at the Central Community Church in west Wichita, roughly doubling capacity from 2,200 vaccinations a day to about 4,000, said County Manager Tom Stolz.
“Our emphasis right now is on trying to serve a large number of population in a short time, and that is best done with mass vaccination sites,” he said.
The clinic at the church will relocate to the Sedgwick County Extension Office at 21st and Ridge on Monday.
Stolz said when possible, the county will dispatch mobile vaccination clinics to reach residents who have limited access to either vaccine clinic.
Appointments can be made at either site or the drive-through clinic for residents with mobility issues.
