Kelly admin calls withholding vaccines ‘enforcement mechanism’

“…Yesterday, we learned that KDHE ordered Riley County to stop vaccinating people until other counties caught up, and threatened to withhold future vaccine shipments.  Today, Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration admits they threaten to withhold promised vaccine doses as an enforcement mechanism; in this case, to deter counties that want to prioritize 64-year-old cancer patients over 22-year-old fast food workers.

Ashley Jones-Wisner, spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, told the Associated Press that withholding vaccines is “an enforcement mechanism.”

“The goal is to ensure that those at the highest risk of COVID-19 are prioritized for vaccination, and the vaccine is distributed across counties fairly,” she told the AP.

According to the CDC, Kansas ranks dead last in vaccine distribution among the 50 states as of March 3…”