Christian County’s very first shipments of COVID-19 vaccines arrived a month ago.
Jennie Stuart Medical Center immediately began administering vaccinations to hospital employees and affiliate providers. The Christian County Health Department started its rollout for “non-hospital” health care personnel a few days later.
Both received the Moderna vaccine, which like Pfizer, requires two doses in order to achieve the optimal 95% efficacy exhibited in clinical trials. According to Moderna, the second dose should be administered 28 days later.
For those who were among the first in the county to be vaccinated, the time for a booster has arrived.
Jennie Stuart began administering second doses earlier this week to hospital employees and affiliate providers, spokeswoman Selina Staub told Hoptown Chronicle. The health department will begin the process next week. Between Monday and Wednesday, 213 “non-hospital” health care workers will hit that 28-day mark
County Health Director Kayla Bebout said the department has contacted local health care facilities that participated in the first round in preparation for next week.
Shortages raise concern, prompt guideline changes
As the country faces the possibility of continued vaccine shortages, supply issues have raised questions about the timely availability of second doses for those who have received their first shot — or hope to receive it soon.
Several health organizations have adjusted vaccine protocols, even though such changes have not been studied in large clinical trials.
In one of the most recent examples, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines on Thursday that include extending the recommended interval between doses to six weeks.
The change follows similar shifts in other countries, including the U.K., where health officials have chosen to prioritize distribution of the first dose to as many people as possible by delaying second doses up to 12 weeks. In Canada, where the National Advisory Council on Immunization has said up to 42 days between doses is acceptable and safe, some provinces are stretching the time between doses in an effort to vaccinate as many people as possible.
Despite these decisions, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reminded the public earlier this month that the majority of individuals in both vaccine trials received the second dose within the recommended interval, and those “who did not receive two vaccine doses at either a three-or four-week interval were generally only followed for a short period of time, such that we cannot conclude anything definitive about the depth or duration of protection after a single dose of vaccine from the single-dose percentages reported by the companies.”
“Until vaccine manufacturers have data and science supporting a change, we continue to strongly recommend that health care providers follow the FDA-authorized dosing schedule for each COVID-19 vaccine,” the statement concluded.
Fewer doses expected next week
While the county’s initial rollout began slowly, it ramped up in the following weeks.
After state officials called on vaccine providers to distribute 90% of vaccine doses within a week of receipt, the Christian County Health Department opened up the vaccination process to K-12 school personnel and some residents 70 and older. It also started providing immunizations at the James E. Bruce Convention Center as one of 33 regional vaccine clinics.
By the end of last week, the department had administered vaccinations to more than 2,000 Kentuckians — each of whom will come due for their second shot in the next couple of weeks.
Meanwhile, distribution from the federal government via the state has slowed.
Kentucky is only expected to get 56,825 doses next week, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday. It’s well below the nearly 86,400 vaccines administered across the commonwealth this week.
On Tuesday, Beshear said Kentucky is administering vaccine faster than the federal government is sending doses.
“That’s why today I formally requested from Operation Warp Speed that the federal government double the amount of vaccine we receive every week,” he said. “We are proving we can get it out there. We are proving that we are efficient. We are proving that we can get it into people’s arms.”
State Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack estimated Kentucky could administer 200,000 to 250,000 doses a week if the state had enough supply.
Even with a larger supply, appointments to be vaccinated at the Bruce Center this week went fast.
On Wednesday, vaccine registration was reopened for residents 70 and older. Within a day, all of the appointments — as many as the health department had vaccines for — were booked.
“We currently do not have any more vaccine for additional appointments this week, and we hope to have vaccine come in next week,” Sweeney said in a news release Thursday. “As we receive the vaccine, we will open up additional slots for appointments.”
With the exception of the health care workers that have been contacted through their employers, the health department is not yet scheduling second doses.
Sweeney said it will announce on Facebook and via local media when that option is available.
Julia Hunter is the engagement editor for Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at julia@hoptownchronicle.org.
