Map: Where Kentucky’s COVID-19 vaccine doses went in the first two months
In the first two months of COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Kentucky, Perry County, population 25,758, received the highest number of vaccines per population.
The state distributed 18,350 doses to the Appalachian county through January 31, enough to cover 71.2 percent of the population, according to data obtained by the Herald-Leader through an open records request.
Not all those doses are staying in Perry County. The state’s bulk shipments of vaccine in December and January were often going to larger hospitals, which also serve surrounding counties.
“All of the vaccine that’s going to Appalachian Regional Healthcare is first going to Perry County,” said Scott Lockard, director of the Perry County Health Department.
Public health officials had to quickly set up a vaccine distribution system on the fly, relying heavily on existing hospitals and clinics that can administer the vaccine quickly. But the mechanisms for delivering the shots look different in Eastern Kentucky than they do in Lexington and Louisville, where institutions like the University of Kentucky have set up mass vaccination centers.
“This, of course, is the huge challenge for us,” Lockard said. “Here in the rural part of the state, the best way to vaccinate is through the already established hospitals, health departments, primary care centers and pharmacies.”
The vaccine totals included in data provided to the Herald-Leader cover December and January, before the state opened its first regional vaccination centers in partnership with Kroger. That model was a major concern for many county judge-executives and public health officials, who were concerned about transportation for the most vulnerable populations.
Judge-executives met with Transportation Secretary Jim Gray — who is heading up the regional vaccination centers — and Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky’s Public Health Commissioner, to express their fear that regional vaccination centers would pull doses away from local distribution efforts.
Casey Ellis, the judge-executive of Owen County, said his county and the three others in the Three Rivers Health District rely on the comparatively small number of doses that have been distributed to the local health department. He said the state is increasing those doses in the coming weeks.
“We were really worried that the need would not be met in our rural communities,” Ellis said. “We were pleasantly surprised at the direction the state took.”
Still, there is a push to get as many people as possible vaccinated in rural communities, particularly in Eastern Kentucky, where a larger percentage of residents have underlying health conditions and travel is more difficult. For example, it can take an hour or more to travel between towns in Harlan County and Perry County, which share a border.
Dan Mosley, the Harlan County judge-executive, said the geographic and travel limitations, particularly for people who are older than 70, makes this stage of the vaccination process even more difficult.
“Right now, I think this is the hardest segment of the population to get it to, the 70 and older,” Mosley said.
This story was originally published February 12, 2021 at 3:55 PM.
