Ten percent of Kansans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports. As of Monday afternoon, 291,724 people had received the first doses of vaccine and 102,799 second doses had been administered.

Barton County is scheduled to receive 400 doses this week and Pawnee County is scheduled to receive 500 doses. The number of doses distributed to other area counties for the week of Feb. 15 is: Ellsworth, 300; Rice, 200; Rush, Russell and Stafford, 100 each.

Case statistics

The KDHE reports there have been 287,450 COVID-19 cases, resulting in 8,923 hospitalizations and 4,406 statewide deaths as of 9 a.m. Monday. There were 1,348 new cases, 42 new deaths and 36 new hospitalizations reported since Friday, Feb. 12.

Here are the total positive and probable COVID-19 cases for area counties as of Monday morning, followed by the number of COVID-related deaths:

• Barton 2,545 total cases (+3 since Friday); 47 deaths (+1)

• Ellsworth 1,202 (+3); 21 (+1)

• Pawnee 1,130 (+1); 14 (+1)

• Rice 1,031 (+1); 10 (+0)

• Rush 424 (+0); 12 (+1)

• Russell 823 (+3); 26 (+0)

• Stafford 329 (+0); 9 (+0)

Vaccine side effects

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports individuals who receive the COVID-19 vaccine may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. These side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.

Common side effects include pain and swelling on the arm where you got the shot. Side effects throughout the rest of the body may include fever, chills, tiredness and headache.

To reduce pain and discomfort where you got the shot, apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth over the area. Also, use or exercise your arm.

To reduce discomfort from fever, drink plenty of fluids and dress lightly.

If you have pain or discomfort, talk to your doctor about taking over-the-counter medicine, such as ibuprofen, aspirin, antihistamines, or acetaminophen, for any pain and discomfort you may experience after getting vaccinated. You can take these medications to relieve post-vaccination side effects if you have no other medical reasons that prevent you from taking these medications normally. It is not recommended you take these medicines before vaccination for the purpose of trying to prevent side effects, because it is not known how these medications may impact how well the vaccine works.

FAQs

Here are a few frequently asked questions about the vaccine and the KDHE response.

• Is this a hoax?

- COVID-19 is not a hoax and neither is the vaccine. Medical professionals recommend getting vaccinated.

• Can I get COVID-19 from the vaccine?

- No

• What does the vaccine do?

- Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA) to encourage your cells to initiate an immune response to COVID-19. Our body relies on proteins every day to keep us healthy. Our body uses mRNA to tell our cells which proteins to make – antibodies in this case. Vaccines that use mRNA are typically quicker and easier to produce, which has helped accelerate the COVID-19 vaccine development process.

The ingredients used in the mRNA vaccines are simple. They contain mRNA, as well as lipids to ensure safe delivery of the mRNA to initiate an immune response. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved adjuvants (aluminum salts) and preservatives (ethlymercury) have a history of safe use in vaccines, they were not used by Pfizer or Moderna in this vaccine technology.

• Should I continue to wear a mask, social distance, maintain good hygiene and avoid large gatherings?

- Yes, until all populations are vaccinated, please continue to take precautions.