KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Meatpacking plant workers in Kansas are now a priority group to get the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Thursday.
Much like her initiative to get Kansas educators vaccinated quicker, Kelly is moving meatpackers to the front of the line to get the vaccine.
Kelly said counties will receive vaccine doses earmarked for the plant workers in additions to what they are already receiving for other uses.
The governor pointed out that the majority of workers in these plants are part of the Hispanic and Latino communities, which have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and have a harder time accessing vaccine.
“Throughout this pandemic, meatpacking plant workers have stepped up to successfully maintain the food supply chain,” Kelly said in a release. “We owe them our gratitude for keeping food on the shelves and on the plates of families across our state, our nation, and the world.”
This initiative works to close that disparity gap as well as protect some of the state's most important workers, Kelly said.
Vaccinations for meatpacking plant workers began today. The state’s goal is to get a prime dose to all workers who want one by the end of next week.
In some cases, county health departments plan to go to the plants to vaccinate workers on site.
Early in the pandemic, meatpacking plants emerged as some of the earliest hotspots for COVID-19 spread.
Around 12,000 people will be eligible for the vaccine under this initiative.
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