Kansas City Health Department To Return More Than 1,000 Coronavirus Vaccine Voicemail Messages

From the City of Kansas City:

January 26, 2021

Thanks to Kansas City news reporters, the Kansas City Health Department received more than 1,200 voicemail messages in a matter of days from people needing assistance to complete the online COVID-19 Vaccine Contact Form.

Many callers said they did not have access to a computer or were elderly and requested help completing the form.

As of Tuesday, Jan. 26, more than 50,000 people have submitted the form, which adds their names and contact information into the health department database to be contacted about vaccination clinics.

“We are happy that residents who cannot fill out the digital form called us for help,” said Tiffany Wilkinson, manager of the Communicable Disease Prevention and Public Health Preparedness Division. “We knew there was a need in Kansas City to provide broader access to the Vaccine Contact Form beyond the computer or their phone’s digital plan. It will take several weeks, if not more, to return 1,200 calls, but we are committed to contacting them. No one should miss out on vaccination clinics because they don’t have a computer.”

If you need assistance filling out the KCMO Vaccine Contact Form, please call 311 or 816-513-1313. When prompted press 3 and then 1. If you can complete the form on a computer or phone, please do. It can be found at kcmo.gov/coronavirus. It is available in English and Spanish.

“People who fill out the form will be contacted based on their priority group, but it will take several months to move through all the groups and tiers and into general public vaccination clinics. We can’t stress this enough. Vaccine supplies are severely limited; please be patient,” said Wilkinson.

The Health Department, in conjunction with Kansas City University staff, is currently vaccinating those in the first tiers: Phase 1A and Phase 1B Tier 1. This includes health care staff who assist patients and first responders. In some cases, when there are open slots or cancellations, we will reach out to others in the next tier, residents aged 65 and older and adults with certain high-risk health conditions.

This press release was produced by the City of Kansas City. The views expressed here are the author’s own.