Reporter Resource: Vaccine FAQ

Kansas City, Kan- Another slight drop in the number of COVID-19 patients at The University of Kansas Health System today. 15 people with the active virus are being treated, down from 16 yesterday. Of those patients, four are in the ICU, down from five yesterday. One of those ICU patients is on a ventilator today, down from two yesterday. 34 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase, up from 32 yesterday. That’s a total of 49 patients, up from 48 yesterday. In addition, HaysMed has a total of 14 COVID-19 inpatients, up from 13 Friday, with eight of those active patients and six in the recovery phase.
On today’s Morning Media Update, KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman had the latest on the vaccine rollout in Kansas and Dr. Kevin Ault joined us to discuss the Johnson & Johnson vaccine vote by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Dr. Norman reported a dramatic drop in COVID-19 cases across the state, from a high of 2000 a day to around 200 a day, the lowest in many months. That’s having a positive impact on hospitals with more beds available and fewer staff members out with the virus. He noted what he calls a disturbing report of eight positive cases of the UK variant identified in Sedgewick County, all from one multi-generational family. He thinks that’s just the tip of the iceberg for that region and the whole state. The number of vaccines coming to the state is also up, from about 45,000 doses a week to 145,000 this week, including more than 23,000 doses of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine. He says with the third vaccine now available, it will help Kansas move more quickly through the different vaccination phases. He explained the state is approaching one million doses of the first two vaccines already given with no adverse effects, other than some of the expected temporary side effects. He’s confident the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be just as safe and will help get residents closer to normal sooner.
Dr. Ault discussed the process of final approval his advisory committee took with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and what convinced the group it is safe and effective. The one-dose vaccine is 85% effective against severe COVID-19 globally and 72% effective against moderate to severe disease. He pointed out this vaccine is well-suited for giving in a doctor’s office because it doesn’t need to be kept frozen like the other two. He advises someone who has a choice of which of the three vaccines to get can be confident in all three, and the best vaccine is the one you can get. He says so far, the data shows it’s safe for pregnant women, and stressed testing for children is still being investigated. He discussed side effects and says it appears they may be a little less severe than the other two vaccines, partly because there’s only one dose, but you can still expect a sore arm and some of the same effects as from the other vaccines.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at The University of Kansas Health System, explained the differences between the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and this new Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and how the both work in the body. He points out that some of the data shows it can decrease asymptomatic disease and may cause a reduction in transmission. He reminds us that stopping the transmission and spread of the virus as soon as possible is the key to getting back to normal sooner and encourages everyone to get one of the vaccines as soon as it’s available. He advises us all to stay vigilant with mask wearing and social distancing as the vaccines continue to roll out and we get closer to normal life.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health system, calls the release of a third vaccine “A big moment in time.” He looks forward to ramping up distribution both across the state and in the Metro area. He says once the Novavax vaccine, currently in the testing phase, is added to the arsenal, we’ll really turn the corner toward getting the pandemic under control. He says the number of current active COVID-19 patients in the health system, 15, “feels so good,” and remembers a time when they were scared about having that many. He reminds us that COVID-19 is still out there and urges us keep each other safe by following the rules of infection prevention as we wait for the vaccinations to become more and more available.