TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas nursing homes and assisted living facilities are desperate for the coronavirus vaccine. Dozens of homes across the state are dealing with a surge in new cases.
According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, there are currently six long term care facilities with positives cases in Shawnee County.
“I know people who have been careful and still contracted it. I also know seven people who contracted it and didn’t make it,” said Susan Fowler, who has a family member in a Topeka nursing home.
Nursing homes are starting to see hope. Kansas could be seeing the first thousand doses of the vaccine in the next couple of days.
Health care workers in the state would be in line first, but residents at nursing homes are also at the top of the list under Gov. Laura Kelly’s vaccine plan.
“Facilities and residents are really excited about this,” said Ali Ellis, a spokeswoman for Midwest Health. “The staff members are going to be thrilled. This is going to give them a much-needed relief. They’ve been working hard for a very long time.”
In the United Kingdom, the Pfizer vaccine has already been approved and a 90-year-old grandmother was the first to roll up her sleeve and receive the shot.
