Up To Date

How COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Is Getting Done In The Kansas City Metro

By Steve Kraske,

Published January 25, 2021 at 5:50 PM CST

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FILE - In this March 16, 2020, file photo, Neal Browning receives a shot at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle, in the first-stage safety study clinical trial of a potential vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Many world leaders at this week's virtual U.N. summit hope it will be a vaccine made available and affordable to all countries, rich and poor. But with the U.S., China and Russia opting out of a collaborative effort to develop and distribute a vaccine, and some rich nations striking deals with pharmaceutical companies to secure millions of potential doses, the U.N. pleas are plentiful but likely in vain. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File) — This week, the Unified Government Public Health Department has 2,000 COVID-19 vaccines to distribute and they're being prioritized for essential workers in Wyandotte County.

Rarely knowing how many doses it will receive or when, the Unified Government Public Health Department is one of many struggling to navigate the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Until we all have been inoculated, the dean of the UMKC School of Medicine says now is "not the time for us to let down our guard." As a new coronavirus strain gains traction in the U.S., it's important to continue following guidelines to prevent spreading the disease.

Juliann Van Liew, director of the Unified Government Public Health Department
Dr. Mary Anne Jackson, dean of the UMKC School of Medicine

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Up To Date Talk Show Podcast Wyandotte County Unified Government of Wyandotte County/KCK vaccines Coronavirus UMKC public health Health

Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

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Chris Young

Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.

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Mackenzie Martin

Whether it’s something happening right now or something that happened 100 years ago, some stories don’t fit in the short few minutes of a newscast. As a podcast producer at KCUR, I help investigate questions and local curiosities in a way that brings listeners along for adventures with plot twists and thought-provoking ideas. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer in the end – but my hope is that we all leave with a greater understanding of the city we live in. Reach me at mackenzie@kcur.org.

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