Gap in rate of fully-vaccinated residents in Kansas City metro counties is growing

May 11—The COVID-19 vaccination gap in the counties in the Kansas City metropolitan area has grown, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Johnson County leads in the metro with 42.9% of its residents being fully vaccinated against the virus. That's followed by Platte County at 31.7%, Jackson County at 30.7%, Clay County at 29.5% and Wyandotte County at 27%.

On April 1, the gap between the counties with the highest and lowest vaccination rates was 8.7%, but that has increased to 15.9%.

Health departments have reported that vaccine demand has slowed. That may change as the Pfizer vaccine expands its use to those ages 12 and up. The vaccine is already approved for those ages 16 and older.

On Monday, the FDA took the next step in allowing Pfizer's vaccine to be administered to 12 to 15-year-olds. Once the CDC's advisory committee approves it, The University of Kansas Health System said they could begin scheduling appointments immediately. Physicians at the health system said they supported getting the younger age group vaccinated.

"If there are specific concerns you have either as they relate to your child's health history or a specific concern around vaccines, you should discuss those concerns with your pediatrician," said David Wild, vice president of performance improvement.

On Tuesday, the Kansas City metro area had more than 100 new cases, as well as six more deaths. The area has reported more than 146,800 total cases including 2,159 deaths.

Statewide, Missouri identified 505,928 total cases including 8,835 deaths.

The state has administered 4,182,124 vaccine doses, with 38.8% of the population initiating vaccination, the state health department said. Missouri has received 5,508,655 doses, the CDC said.

Kansas reported 310,927 total cases including 5,016 deaths.

The state has distributed 2,652,360 vaccine doses. Of those, 2,027,182 have been administered, with 39.5% of the population initiating vaccination, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Information about local vaccine availability can be found here.

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