COVID-19 testing and vaccine update
Welcome to 2021 and the spring semester. Student Health Services has resumed COVID-19 testing for WSU students and employees. Testing is being done by appointment and is available 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday- Friday. Contact 316-978-4792 to schedule your appointment.
Student Health continues to closely monitor progress on the COVID-19 vaccine in Kansas. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) are coordinating how the vaccine will be distributed in Kansas and in Sedgwick County. These public health entities directly oversee the allocation and distribution of Kansas’ limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine. Find the latest information and links to various resources regarding the vaccination program in Kansas at KDHE’s COVID-19 Vaccine website.
Because the COVID-19 vaccine is not widely available at this time, KDHE has developed a vaccine prioritization plan by population that is presented in the table below. These phases are based on public health risk and critical needs for the state. At this time, “higher education” employees and students are not identified in a specific prioritization phase. This means some employees and students may qualify earlier for vaccination because of age, medical risks factors, or they work in a defined critical area. Other employees and students will qualify later among the general population. We will continue to advocate for higher education employees on getting a vaccine sooner.
It is important to understand the current definitions related to the phases. This information can be found in the Vaccine Prioritization Plan document on the KDHE’s COVID-19 Vaccine website. The state’s vaccination strategy may change as further discussion occurs at the federal and state levels and as more COVID-19 vaccine becomes available.
| PHASE 1 | PHASE 2 | PHASE 3 | PHASE 4 | PHASE 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
— Healthcare workers — Resident or patients in Long-term care (LTC), senior housing or LTC-supported independent living. — Workers critical to pandemic response continuity. |
— Persons Aged 65+ — Congregate settings — High-contact critical workers |
— Aged 16-64 with severe medical risks — Other critical workers |
— Aged 16-64 with other medical risks |
— Rest of population 16+ — Children |
Student Health Services is working to complete the process to become an approved vaccination provider. Our goal is to be able to receive vaccine from the SCHD and/or KDHE for distribution to students and employees once the vaccine become more widely available.
It is important to remember that health and safety measures are still vital and work in controlling the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The COVID-19 vaccine does not replace the importance of being consistent with doing personal wellness check, wearing a face covering, physical distancing, avoiding crowds, and frequent hand washing.
Stay Vigilant and Stay Safe Shockers!