What to Know About the COVID-19 Vaccine

Older adult woman getting vaccine

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

The vaccine provides hope for this unprecedented pandemic and is an important next step in helping to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This page will be updated frequently with new information.

We currently have vaccination appointments available for ANYONE 65 years and older in our community. See scheduling information below.

COVID19 Cell
 

Interested in receiving updates about the COVID-19 vaccine?

You can fill out this quick survey to be added to our list to receive vaccine updates and availability information from Olathe Health.

Please note: This survey is NOT an appointment and does NOT reserve a vaccine for you. Olathe Health will receive the vaccine in limited quantities on an ongoing basis from the state. Thank you for your patience as you wait for your vaccine to be available based on your phase.
COMPLETE SURVEY HERE.

COVID-19 Phase 2 Vaccine Scheduling

We currently have vaccination appointments available for ANYONE 65 years and older in our community. See scheduling information below.

 

How to schedule a vaccine:

  • If you are a patient, the best way to schedule a vaccine appointment is online using the Patient Portal. (If you are a patient and do not have a portal account, contact your primary care clinic to get signed up.) 
  • If you are a patient with an Olathe Health primary care doctor and don’t wish to schedule online, please call your primary care clinic to schedule your vaccine.
  • If you are a patient who has received care at Olathe Medical Center, Miami County Medical Center or an Olathe Health Physicians specialty clinic and don’t wish to schedule online, please call our scheduling hotline at 913-782-2224.
  • If you are NOT a patient, please call any Olathe Health primary care clinic. View a full list of clinics here.
  • If you are NOT a patient, you may also use our scheduling hotline at 913-782-2224. Please note, this line receives a high volume of calls so you may have to call multiple times to get through.
  • You can also call any Olathe Health Physicians specialty clinic to book an appointment at one of the 15 clinics offering vaccines.
    • The specialty clinics include: Olathe Health Consultants in Pulmonary Medicine, Olathe Health Cardiology Services, Olathe Health Johnson County Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Olathe Health Comprehensive Neurology, Olathe Health Neurosurgery Specialists, Olathe Health Urology Specialists, Olathe Health GI Specialists, and Olathe Health Midwest Surgical Associates.
  • Please note: We will be receiving limited supplies of vaccines from KDHE and the local health departments as they become available. We anticipate appointment slots will fill up quickly. Thank you for your patience as we work with the state to get everyone vaccinated.

Where to direct Patient Portal questions:

  • If you are a patient and are trying to set up a new patient portal account, please call your Olathe Health primary care clinic to get signed up. If you do not have a primary care clinic, please call your Olathe Health Physicians specialty clinic to get signed up.
  • If you are a patient and need help with login and password resets, or general navigation support, please call 1-877-621-8014, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • For other portal questions, please call 913-355-4217, Mon. – Fri. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or email [email protected].

Additional FAQs

Do you have the Johnson & Johnson vaccine available?

At this time, we have not been advised yet if or when we will receive shipment of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. As soon as we are notified by the county or state about an incoming shipment, we will provide more details about how it will be administered.


How will patients get their second dose?

The appointment for the second injection will be made during the check-in process for the first injection. A person needs to receive their second dose within the recommended timeframe, based on the vaccine type, in order to achieve full immunity from the vaccine.

COVID-19 Vaccine Phasing and Distribution

In Kansas, the COVID-19 vaccine is being distributed in phases, based on supply, as outlined by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). As of January 21, Kansas has moved into KDHE Phase 2 of the distribution plan, which is the plan Olathe Health is following. (See graphic below.)

During Phase 2, Olathe Health clinics will vaccinate patients ages 65 and older. For all others in Phase 2 groups who do not meet this criteria, please contact your local health department for information about other vaccination sites. Due to the limited amount of vaccine currently available, our initial shipments are only allotted for our patients who are in the phase designated by the state.

Please see the FAQs below for answers about how to schedule, vaccine safety information and more. As a reminder, even once you get the vaccine, it is crucial to continue to observe the current safety measures in place. While experts learn more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it will be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic, like covering your mouth and nose with a mask, washing hands often, and staying at least 6 feet away from others.

KS Vaccine Phases

COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs

  • In Kansas, the COVID-19 vaccine is being distributed in phases, based on supply, as outlined by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). As of January 21, Kansas has moved into KDHE Phase 2 of the distribution plan, which is the plan Olathe Health is following. (See graphic above.)

    During Phase 2, Olathe Health clinics will vaccinate patients ages 65 and older. For all others in Phase 2 groups who do not meet this criteria, please contact your local health department for information about other vaccination sites. Due to the limited amount of vaccine currently available, our initial shipments are only allotted for our patients who are in the phase designated by the state.

  • We currently have vaccination appointments available for ANYONE 65 years and older in our community. 

    As we continue to receive more vaccine supply, we plan to further grow our community vaccination efforts with a focus on underserved populations. We will continue to provide updates on our vaccine distribution plan as it evolves.
     

  • We currently have vaccination appointments available for ANYONE 65 years and older in our community. 

    Olathe Health patients 65 and older will be able to make an appointment for the vaccine by scheduling online through the Patient Portal. (If you do not have a portal account, call your primary care provider to set one up.) Appointments will be allowed based on the phasing group currently being vaccinated. At this time, you will not see the COVID-19 vaccine appointment option in your Patient Portal booking menu. For more information, please see the How to Schedule a Vaccine section above.

    Please note: We will be receiving limited supplies of vaccines from KDHE as they become available. Thank you for your patience as we work with the state to get everyone vaccinated

    The COVID-19 vaccine is a series of two injections that must be given within a specific time frame. (21- 23 days for the Pfizer Vaccine and 28-30 days for Moderna) Your appointment for the second injection will be made during the check-in process for your first injection. You must receive both injections for the vaccine to be most effective. The vaccine is free, however, there is a fee to administer the injection that will be billed to your insurance.

    Interested in receiving updates about the COVID-19 vaccine?
    You can fill out our quick survey to be added to our list to receive vaccine updates and availability information from Olathe Health. This survey is NOT an appointment and does NOT reserve a vaccine for you. Click here to complete the survey.

  • The chart above outlines the KDHE phasing by population. Olathe Health is following this phasing plan. If you are unsure what Phase group you fit in based on the information below, please consult your employer and/or primary care physician. You can also view the KDHE Vaccine Prioritization Plan for more details about each Phase group here: kansasvaccine.gov/157/Availability.


    Click the following link for the screen readers version: (Version of KDHE table accessible to screen readers)

    This state plan is subject to change. Questions about the plan can be directed to KDHE:

    Phone: 1-866-534-3463 (1-866-KDHEINF)

    Email: [email protected]

    Website at kdheks.gov

  • A safe vaccine is determined through administration to a large number of people of different ages, sexes and underlying conditions. Both the Pfizer/BioN Tech and Moderna vaccines have undergone rigorous studies. For example, the Pfizer/BioN Tech study included more than 43,000 patients across demographics representative of our population. These COVID-19 vaccine studies have achieved 95 percent effectiveness.

  • The COVID-19 vaccine is a multi-dose vaccine administered through a shot. The second dose is given 21 to 28 days later, depending on which vaccine brand you get. (The second dose should be administered within about a two-day window of the specified timeframe.)

  • No. The COVID-19 vaccine does not contain a live virus.

  • No. You will not be contagious and do not need to quarantine. The vaccine does not contain a live virus. It is designed to trigger an immune response in your body to help prevent you from getting the virus.

  • After COVID-19 vaccination, you may have some side effects. This is a normal sign that your body is building protection. The side effects may include mild symptoms like soreness at injection site, muscle aches and fatigue. If you do experience symptoms, please report them on the V-Safe app created by the CDC. V-Safe is a smartphone-based tool that checks in on you after your vaccine, and sends reminders about your second dose. To register, go to https://vsafe.cdc.gov/ 

  • The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines appear to be equally effective. Initially, vaccine availability will determine which vaccine people get. As more vaccines are introduced into the market, additional work will be done to optimize the right vaccine for each individual, depending on availability.

  • Yes, however, since re-infection is highly unlikely in the first 90 days, it is recommended by the CDC and KDHE to wait for the vaccine during this initial period of time. Since there are not enough vaccines for everyone, this will allow those with no immunity to receive vaccine quicker. Re-infection of COVID-19 is possible, and there are severe health risks for some people, so it is advised to get a COVID-19 vaccine, even if you have been sick with it before. At this time, experts do not know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. The immunity someone gains from having an infection, called natural immunity, varies from person to person. 

  • The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are both messenger RNA (mRNA). COVID-19 vaccines that use mRNA work with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop protection to disease without us having to get the illness. The mRNA instructs our body to make a certain protein. That protein is identical to the spike protein on the coronavirus. It needs that spike protein to attach to our cells and be able to cause infection. When we make that spike protein, our body recognizes it is foreign, and we build up an immunity against it. When we then get exposed to the actual virus, our body recognizes it and can have a more rapid immune response to fight off that infection.Receiving an mRNA vaccine will not alter your DNA. The mRNA never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where our DNA are kept. This means the mRNA does not affect or interact with our DNA in any way.

  • If you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine, CDC recommends that you should not get that specific vaccine. View list of ingredients for the Pfizer vaccine here and view a list of ingredients for the Moderna vaccine here. If you have had a severe allergic reaction to other vaccines or injectable therapies, you should ask your doctor if you should get a COVID-19 vaccine. Your doctor will help you decide if it is safe for you to get vaccinated. CDC recommends that people with a history of severe allergic reactions not related to vaccines or injectable medications—such as allergies to food, pet, venom, environmental, or latex—may still get vaccinated. People with a history of allergies to oral medications or a family history of severe allergic reactions, or who might have a milder allergy to vaccines (no anaphylaxis)—may also still get vaccinated. For more information, please visit: cdc.gov/coronavirus.

  • Yes. It will be crucial to continue to observe the current safety measures. While experts learn more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it will be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic, like covering your mouth and nose with a mask, washing hands often, and staying at least 6 feet away from others. Full vaccine protection takes several weeks. While the vaccine will protect you from getting sick, you theoretically could still carry the virus infecting others who have not been immunized. 

  • Please talk with your OB about getting the vaccine if you are pregnant or lactating. For information regarding receiving the vaccine while pregnant or lactating, please refer to the the CDC and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology links below.

    https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/pregnancy.html

    https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-advisory/articles/2020/12/vaccinating-pregnant-and-lactating-patients-against-covid-19

  • Partial protection is seen 7-10 days after the initial dose. However, full immunity isn’t achieved until 14 days after receiving the second dose, which is approximately 26-30 days after the first dose is given, depending on which vaccine brand you are given.
    That means it takes several weeks for your body to develop immunity to COVID-19. It is recommended to continue practicing all other protective measures during this time, including social distancing, washing your hands and wearing your mask over your mouth and nose.
    While the vaccine is nearly 95 percent effective in preventing illness from COVID-19, it is not yet known whether or not individuals could be asymptomatic spreaders of infection to non-vaccinated individuals. Until we have this data, continued mask wearing may still be optimal even after full immunity is achieved.

  • Because the vaccines are new, it’s not yet known how long the vaccine protection lasts. The duration will likely highly depend on the extent and timeline of mutations to the COVID-19 spike protein. Expert predictions generally range from one to three years.

  • In order to determine an answer to this question, more research will be needed in this area. The CDC predicts an annual booster may be necessary.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information and Resources

Healthcare providers/workers information from KDHE and JCDHE

If you are a healthcare-associated worker and your employer has not provided a date for you to be vaccinated, please have someone from your office contact the local health department (links located to the right).

Healthcare providers who want to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to their patients or staff can email a request to KDHE at [email protected]. KDHE will send the healthcare provider an enrollment form and instructions on how to order, store and administer the vaccine.

For more information, visit:

Vaccine Pharmaceutical Fact Sheets