Starting Wednesday, Sedgwick County will add several more occupational groups to the list of people who can make appointments to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Deputy County Manager Tim Kaufman said public safety workers, employees at day care and child care facilities, veterinarians, meatpacking workers, aviation and manufacturing workers and transportation workers can begin scheduling appointments.   Kaufman said people 65 and older, health care workers, and K-12 teachers can still schedule appointments, and no one will be left behind in the process.

County Manager Tom Stolz said there has been no formal response to the request made by county commissioners to allow vaccines for people with underlying health conditions, but there have been conversations with state health officials who said that this would not be allowed.    Stolz said other counties have also asked for this, and state health officials see the merit in it, but they want to stay with the vaccination plan that is in place.    He said the state officials want to get through Phase Two of the vaccination plan as fast as possible so Phase Three can begin, and that will include people with underlying conditions.

County Commissioner David Dennis said he was disappointed in the decision.   He said the county is not trying to jump into Phase Three right away, but it’s felt that priorities are not in the right position.