Missouri’s governor announced Wednesday in Jefferson City that more than 66,000 frontline health care workers and nursing home residents and staff have received the initial COVID vaccine.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson thanks employees at the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for how they’ve responded to the COVID pandemic, during an event in Jefferson City on December 23, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)
Governor Mike Parson tells Capitol reporters that he’s pleased with how the process has gone.
“On Monday we received more good news that CVS and Walgreens began vaccinating residents and staff in Missouri’s long-term care facilities through the federal pharmacy partnership,” Parson says.
He says those vaccine shipments come directly from the federal government to the pharmacies, as part of Missouri’s allotment of Moderna COVID vaccines.
“Vaccinating facilities across the state will receive nearly 84,000 initial vaccine doses this week, and we expect to receive more than 73,000 additional doses next week,” says Parson.
The governor also used part of Wednesday’s press conference to discuss the importance of the second dose. He says Missourians who’ve received an initial dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine will begin receiving their second dose next week.
“It is extremely important that every Missourian return for the second dose of the vaccine,” Parson says.
The governor says shipments for the second dose are already accounted for, when initial shipments are allotted.
The governor also tells Capitol reporters that Missouri now has 196 contracted staff through the partnership with Vizient, working in hospitals in Jefferson City, St. Joseph, Hannibal, Springfield and several other communities. Parson has credited Vizient for helping to expand the state’s health care system capacity.
State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams joined Governor Parson at the Capitol. Dr. Williams says 314,000 COVID vaccines have been shipped to Missouri in December.
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