Kyle Palmer  - Coronavirus

KU Health System says 8,000 COVID-19 vaccine appointments available — how to sign up

Kansas vaccine fair share

KU Health officials said Wednesday they had 8,000 open slots for COVID-19 vaccine appointments. Anyone who lives or works in Johnson County or lives in Wyandotte County is eligible to sign up for an appointment. File photo.

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The University of Kansas Health System announced Wednesday it has 8,000 open appointments for COVID-19 vaccines.

People who live or work in Johnson County and people who live in Wyandotte County are eligible to sign up for these open slots.

You do not have to currently be a KU patient in order to qualify.

During Wednesday’s daily COVID-19 briefing, Dr. Steven Stites, the University of Kansas Health System’s chief medical officer, encouraged anyone in Johnson or Wyandotte counties who has yet to be vaccinated to reach out and try to make an appointment.

“We are opening it up more broadly,” he said. “Tell your friends, families and neighbors in Johnson and Wyandotte counties.”

How to try to book an appointment: 

Johnson County increasing vaccines

The news comes as Johnson County’s vaccination rate continue to tick up.

This week, county health officials said it was possible that every adult in the county who wanted a vaccine could get one within the next month.

As of Wednesday, the CDC said slightly more than 22% of Johnson County residents, or about 133, 700 people, had been fully vaccinated.

In recent weeks, the county’s supply of vaccine that it receives from the state has increased to nearly 20,000 doses per week. Some of that weekly allotment of doses is then divvied out to local health systems, like KU Med.

Johnson County residents can also try to secure an appointment through the county, other local hospitals or retail pharmacies, including those at HyVee, Walmart, CVS and Walgreens locations.

For a full list of how to try to get a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, click here.