While flu cases in Missouri have remained relatively low for now the same cannot be said for COVID.
Dr. Laura Morris with MU Health Care told Missourinet that they typically see a rise in flu cases around the holidays; however, COVID has not been as consistent.
“We did see a rise, a small uptick in COVID cases after the beginning of the school year that remained steady for several weeks and then has declined a little bit,” said Morris. “We anticipate that we will see more COVID cases over the winter as well.”
Morris said vaccines are available, but delays and communication challenges have made it harder to reach some groups—especially children covered by the Vaccines for Children program.
“So, the different groups that the federal government who have to make recommendations and then approve those guidelines is tied to the insurance payment for some children’s vaccines,” said Morris. “Adult vaccines are widely available in lots of places.”
Morris said protection is especially important for the most vulnerable—from infants to older adults.
“While most people can recover easily from infections like flu and COVID, those vulnerable patients are more likely to end up with a severe disease to end up in the hospital and then tens of thousands of Americans die from flu and from COVID on an ongoing basis year to year.”
Dr. Morris said vaccines are a key tool to reduce the risk of illness.
MU Health Care will host a drive-thru flu and COVID vaccine event this Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Columbia.
Details are available at MUhealth.org.
Dr. Morris encourages anyone with questions or concerns about the COVID vaccine to contact their local doctor’s office for guidance and support.
Copyright © 2025 · Missourinet