KENTUCKY — Only a matter of months ago, COVID-19 vaccines were reserved for a small group of eligible Kentuckians. Now, 2,087,829 residents have been vaccinated as of June 7, according to state data. That's 47% of Kentucky's population.
What You Need To Know
- Over 2 million Kentuckians have been vaccinated, according to state data
- While supply used to be unable to keep up with demand, the opposite problem has recently taken over
- Many options still remain for Kentuckians who still want to be vaccinated
- You can find vaccination locations near you both here and here
At the start of Kentucky's vaccine rollout, supply struggled to keep up with demand. The opposite problem has taken over in recent months, causing vaccination sites both big and small to close up shop. However, a myriad of options remains for Kentuckians still waiting to be vaccinated. The state hosts an online map that lists over 500 COVID-19 vaccination locations in Kentucky, searchable by county. As well, vaccines.gov/search gives Americans a tool to find any one of the three FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines near them.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fully vaccinated Americans can stop wearing masks indoors at most places. The new guidance also no longer recommends that fully vaccinated people wear masks outdoors in crowds. The CDC released the eased guidance last month; however, it still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters. Someone is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Kentucky immediately adopted the CDC's guidance, but all residents, vaccinated or unvaccinated, will be able to ditch their masks once the state's mask mandate ends June 11.
Now, as life begins its return to somewhat normal and vaccine demand declines, Kentucky is finding ways to incentivize people to get the shot. Earlier this month, Gov. Andy Beshear announced three Kentuckians could win $1 million each for receiving a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, 15 Kentuckians age 12 to 17 who have received one dose will win full scholarships to any Kentucky public college, university, technical or trade school. You can register for your chance to win here.