Kansas, Missouri using 'honor system' to stop people from cutting in line for vaccine Jonathan Shorman and Lisa Gutierrez, The Kansas City Star Dec. 21—Health leaders spent months deciding who would get the COVID-19 vaccine and when. Doctors, nurses and nursing home residents first. Then first responders, those with underlying health problems, the elderly and the fuzzily defined essential worker. Finally, the general public. But as the universe of people eligible to get vaccinated expands in the coming weeks, those inclined to jump the line might be able to get shots months before their turn. As the ranks of the vaccinated grows, the temptation to cut is likely to rise, fueled by the promise of protection from the virus and hope of a more normal life.