Comeback KC

More than 1.25 million KC-region residents are now fully vaxxed! Thanks to all these people for doing their part to keep our region safe and healthy.

More thank 1.2 million KC-region residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Thank you for doing your part to protect our city, our region, our families, our economy, and each other.

Area Chief Medical Officers are sending out a "tornado warning" about the current wave of COVID infections. Hospitals are already full, staff are exhausted, and cases are rising faster than they did this time last year.

“I think the peak is going to be worse than it was a year ago, not better,” said Dr. Jim Stewart, chief medical officer for North Kansas City Hospital."

Please continue to wear masks, get boosted, limit social contact, and please get tested before you get together for the holidays.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article256681317.html

“A tornado warning to our community:” Health officials on Kansas City’s COVID crisis “If we’re not going to try to bend the curve, the curve is going to bend us.”

Get Boosted for the holidays! Protect yourself and the ones you love.

COVID-19 BOOSTER UPDATE: Everyone ages 18+ is eligible for a COVID-19 booster.

If you got an mRNA vaccine, either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, you may get a booster dose 6 months after you’re fully vaccinated.

If you got a one-dose vaccine, Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen, you may get a booster dose 2 months after you’re fully vaccinated.

More: https://bit.ly/3qR93av

With the approval of COVID vaccines for children 5 - 11 years old, some parents are wondering where they can get their kids vaccinated. The The Kansas City Star shared an article today with a first look at the answer to that question.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article255508631.html

Where your child can get a COVID vaccine in Kansas City The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that kids ages 5 to 11 get a COVID vaccine as soon as today, but doses in Kansas City will be widely available starting this weekend.

It's not too early to start thinking about the holidays. Starting your COVID vaccinations in September can mean you're fully vaccinated in time for the holidays later this year.

HUGE milestone! Over 1 million people FULLY vaccinated in the KC region. Thank you to all the organizations, health care workers, and volunteers who've brought us this far. You are saving lives.

The FDA's full approval of the Pfizer COVID vaccine may make a difference for some of those who are still uncertain about getting vaccinated.



https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/08/24/1030267314/pfizer-vaccine-covid-fda-approval-kids-faq-mandate

Why Pfizer's FDA Approval Matters And What It Means For Vaccine Mandates The FDA announced the Pfizer vaccine is the first in the U.S. that is now fully approved. Here's what that means for vaccine mandates and convincing vaccine-hesitant people to get vaccinated.

Business leaders, we need you to join the movement to create COVID safe zones.

Dozens of public health officials and leaders from both political parties have signed a national open letter asking business leaders to implement policies that require or incentivize COVID vaccinations. Please read the open letter and its recommendations here.

Sign on to help save lives and protect our economy.

https://www.covidcollaborative.us/covidsafezones

#COVIDSafeZones — Covid Collaborative The United States sits at a critical juncture in our efforts to move beyond the pandemic. We are seeking your help. More than 164 million Americans – representing 58 percent of the eligible population – have been fully vaccinated, providing substantial protection against illness, reducing deaths...

Now that the US DOJ has given employers the greenlight to implement vaccine mandates, we need more companies in KC to get onboard and help move us toward population immunity.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/here-are-companies-mandating-vaccines-all-or-some-employees-n1275808

Here are the companies mandating vaccines for all or some employees From Goldman Sachs to Equinox, a nationwide spike in coronavirus cases is pushing companies to implement vaccine policies for some or all employees.

The American Academy of Pediatricians has recommended masks for all students and staff in schools. The advice comes amidst a wave of COVID cases and hospitalizations fueled by the Delta variant. Vaccination is our best defense against new outbreaks and new variants.



https://services.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2021/american-academy-of-pediatrics-updates-recommendations-for-opening-schools-in-fall-2021/

American Academy of Pediatrics Updates Recommendations for Opening Schools in Fall 2021 In updated guidance for the 2021-22 school year, the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends in-person learning and urges all who are eligible to be vaccinated to protect against COVID-19.

A new analysis ranks Missouri as the least COVID-safe state in the nation. 😳😬😲

https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article252647098.html

Are you safe from COVID-19? New analysis has Missouri coming in last in nation The ranking was based on vaccination rate, transmission rate, positive test rate, hospitalizations and deaths.

Confused about whether or not to wear masks indoors? This article offers some good insight and advice. Here's the key paragraph.

"The evidence right now says if you live in a highly vaccinated community with low infection rates, fully vaccinated people can skip the mask if they are willing to tolerate a minuscule risk of a breakthrough infection. For people who live in low vaccination, high infection communities, the choice is different: Mask up indoors or be willing to accept a far more meaningful risk of getting the virus."

Unfortunately, our region has one of the lowest levels of vaccination in the US. With the Delta variant here and the Lambda variant on the horizon, it's prudent to mask up indoors, especially in public.



https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/07/opinion/masking-indoors-age-delta-variant/

Masking indoors in the age of the Delta variant - The Boston Globe It’s confusing. So who’s right and how are Americans to navigate this?

99.2% deaths from COVID19 in the US are among unvaccinated people, according to an AP analysis.

". . . only about 150 of the more than 18,000 COVID-19 deaths in May were in fully vaccinated people. That translates to about 0.8%, or five deaths per day on average."



https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-941fcf43d9731c76c16e7354f5d5e187

Nearly all COVID deaths in US are now among unvaccinated Nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now are in people who weren’t vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been and an indication that deaths per day — now down to under 300 — could be practically zero if everyone eligible got the vaccine.

The Delta variant is in our region, and it is not messing around. If you're not already vaccinated, Delta is a very good reason to get vaccinated now.

https://www.newyorker.com/science/medical-dispatch/the-delta-variant-is-a-grave-danger-to-the-unvaccinated

The Delta Variant Is a Grave Danger to the Unvaccinated One half of America is protected. The other is approaching a perilous moment in the pandemic.

Black scientists and doctors have been deeply involved in developing and testing the COVID-19 vaccines from the get-go. The four historically Black medical schools were all vaccine trial sites.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_tJWYcdHHU&list=PLbpi6ZahtOH6rM2M2UjAk2GbgDpawV55I

How were Black people involved in the COVID vaccine development? Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD explains how Black scientists and researchers were involved in the COVID vaccine research.Black doctors, nurses and researchers d...

96% of doctors in the US have been vaccinated for COVID-19. If you have questions about the vaccines, talk to your doctor.

https://ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-survey-shows-over-96-doctors-fully-vaccinated-against-covid-19

The Delta variant is circulating at the Lake of the Ozarks. If you're going to the lake, please make sure you're vaccinated.

“Those that aren’t vaccinated are sitting ducks,” Edwards wrote. . .“There will still be the illness, there will still be the mortality, and it is all avoidable with the vaccine.”

https://www.kcur.org/health/2021-06-14/missouri-tourist-hotspot-where-vaccination-rates-are-low-seeing-outbreak-of-covid-variant

Missouri Tourist Hotspot, Where Vaccination Rates Are Low, Seeing Outbreak Of COVID Variant Southwest Missouri’s most popular tourist areas — from Branson to the Lake of the Ozarks — are the epicenter of a COVID-19 outbreak linked to the Delta variant.

96% of doctors in the US have received the COVID-19 vaccine.

https://t.co/dWwP9oACYH

AMA: 96% Of Doctors Are Vaccinated Against Covid-19 The American Medical Association says 96 percent of “practicing physicians” have been fully vaccinated for Covid-19.

Celebrating over 800K people vaccinated in the KC region! The more people who get vaccinated, the safer we all are.

The former mayor of Tuskegee talks about why he's getting vaccinated for COVID-19 after a long history of justified medical mistrust in the Black community.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPmqBzTABEM

Former Mayor of Tuskegee On Overcoming Vaccine Inequality | The Vaccine, In Our Words | Walgreens See why the Former Mayor of Tuskegee is getting the COVID-19 vaccine after a long history of medical mistrust in the African American community. This is epis...

The Delta variant is showing up in our region. It's 60% more transmissible than the original virus and more than 2x likely to cause hospitalization.

If you haven't been vaccinated yet, NOW is the time.



https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/06/08/1004597294/the-highly-contagious-delta-variant-of-covid-is-on-the-rise-in-the-u-s?utm_term=nprnews&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=politics&utm_medium=social

The Highly Contagious Delta Variant Is On The Rise In The U.S. The variant accounts for more than 6% of all infections in the U.S. and in some Western states is responsible for more than 18% of cases.

There are more than 350 locations in the KC region where you can get a FREE COVID vaccination. Find yours at vaccinatekc.com.

https://www.vaccinatekc.org/en/vaccine-locations

Even if you've had COVID, make sure you get vaccinated.

We're making progress, KC! We can do this!

The vaccine van is on streets bringing vaccines to people who need them. Charlie Keegan KSHB has the story.

https://www.kshb.com/news/coronavirus/new-vaccine-van-in-kansas-city-is-part-of-larger-shift-in-mobile-health-care

New 'vaccine van' in Kansas City is part of larger shift in mobile health care A vaccine van is now on the roads around Kansas City in what could become a new model for mobile healthcare once the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

Thanks to the 640,000+ people in our region who are fully vaccinated. You're making our community safer and stronger.

The COVID-19 infection rates are still high among unvaccinated people. We need more people to get vaccinated in order to protect our community.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/interactive/2021/covid-rates-unvaccinated-people/?tid=ss_tw

The unseen covid-19 risk for unvaccinated people With the adjustment for vaccination, the national death rate is roughly the same as it was two months ago, while the adjusted rates in several states show the pandemic is spreading as fast among the unvaccinated as it did during the winter surge.

If you have questions about the risks of the COVID-19 vaccines, please read this story from the . The risks of COVID are FAR greater than any risks from the vaccines.

https://www.latimes.com/projects/covid-19-vaccine-safety-side-effects-risks-reactions/

More than 600,000 community protectors in our region so far. Lots to celebrate and lots of work left to do.

Good news for fully vaccinated folks.



https://www.npr.org/2021/05/13/996582891/fully-vaccinated-people-can-stop-wearing-masks-indoors-and-outdoors-cdc-says?utm_term=nprnews&utm_campaign=npr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&fbclid=IwAR1ggKVDh2hDggwDrmi4UQwk-a3iwK2qU2VLogYFq5qN5pMabiLDbjiZqrE

Fully Vaccinated People Can Stop Wearing Masks Indoors And Outdoors, CDC Says The loosened guidance should make it easier to reopen schools and workplaces. But the CDC recommends that masks still be worn in crowded indoor settings like public transit and hospitals.

Dr. Tom Frieden is the former Director of the CDC. He knows what he's talking about. Listen up.

https://twitter.com/DrTomFrieden/status/1392476437093961728

We're hearing the same in KC. Hospitalized cases are almost exclusively unvaccinated people.

“It should be a wakeup call to people who said, ‘I’m not sure about this vaccine.’”

https://www.wlwt.com/article/covid-19-patients-total-170-at-local-hospitals-not-a-single-one-vaccinated/36356774

COVID-19 patients total 170 at local hospitals, not a single one vaccinated Vaccine effectiveness is showing up in real-world numbers as local hospitals calculate how many COVID-19 patients have been vaccinated.

The vaccine van is ready to roll. KMBC 9 and shared this story last night.

https://www.kmbc.com/article/group-works-to-bring-covid-19-vaccine-to-residents/36389076

If you're interested in bringing the van to your neighborhood, organization, church, or event, send us a note here:

https://www.vaccinatekc.org/en/vaccine-van

Group works to bring COVID-19 vaccine to residents Vaccinate KC is a regional effort working to make it as easy as possible for people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

95% of doctors have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or plan to get vaccinated. If you have questions about the vaccine, talk to your doctor.

We sat down with Johnson County, KS Government and Dr. Sanmi Ar**la to talk about the 500K milestone, population immunity, and the Two Million Arms KC campaign. Check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP5cf3L2-lw

JoCo on the Go webcast - Reaching population immunity 5.5.21 On JoCo on the Go, episode #88, Johnson County is making great progress toward getting vaccine into the arms of those eligible, but there’s more work to do. ...